From 1907 to 1931 at Tendaguru, a remote site in present-day Tanzania, teams of German (and later British) paleontologists unearthed 220 tons of fossils, including the bones of a new dinosaur, one of the largest then known. For decades the mounted skeleton of this giant, Brachiosaurus, was the largest skeleton of a land animal on exhibit in the world. The dinosaur and other animal fossils found at Tendaguru form one of the cornerstones of our understanding of life in the Mesozoic era. Visited sporadically during the '30s and '40s, Tendaguru again became the site of scientific interest late in the 20th century. African Dinosaurs Unearthed tells the story of driven scientific adventurers working under difficult conditions and often paying the price with their health—and sometimes with their lives. Set against the background of a troubled century, the book reveals how scientific endeavors were carried on through war and political turmoil, and continue into the present day.
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"The volume will certainly be the standard reference on the history of Tendaguru from here on... I thoroughly enjoyed African Dinosaurs Unearthed and recommend it to anyone interested in the history of research on Mesozoic fauna." —The Palaeontological Association Newsletter
(The Palaeontological Association Newsletter )About the Author
Gerhard Maier has spent ten years working in archaeology and vertebrate paleontology. Formerly a technician at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, he now works as a data analyst for a major oil company. A lifelong interest in dinosaurs, travel, and history has culminated in this volume.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Authoritatively written,
By Ovi Raptor (USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: African Dinosaurs Unearthed: The Tendaguru Expeditions (Life of the Past) (Hardcover)
Solid and balanced research, fascinating story, well-written and covers an event little-known to history. A significant amount of the work in Africa done by German paelontologists such as Fraas and Stromer and their resident Austrian assistant, Markgraf, was lost in the British bombing of Germany during WWII. It's good to see this history reconstructed. In this regard, see also "The Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt" and "Notes from Diary--Fayum Trip, 1907."
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Dino Story,
By
This review is from: African Dinosaurs Unearthed: The Tendaguru Expeditions (Life of the Past) (Hardcover)
This is a great read - a nicely crafted story of a nearly forgotten time and series of events that led to some great discoveries! I like the way the story unfolds, the way the narrative reveals the challenges and intrigue surrounding this African dinosaur adventure. But I especially appreciated the huge amount of facts, details, and explanations which must have been the result of significant research by the author into this subject. Nice book; great dino story!
5.0 out of 5 stars
African Dinosaurs Unearthed,
By A Customer
This review is from: African Dinosaurs Unearthed: The Tendaguru Expeditions (Life of the Past) (Hardcover)
This work of original research is not your "run of the mill" dinosaur book. It makes extensive use of European archival sources to seamlessly weave both history and palaeontology together to tell the story of Tendaguru. It is detailed, thorough and challenging! The photos, many seen for the first time, are awesome.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Cooling rains were returning to the interior of eastern Africa, repeating a cycle stretching back countless millennia. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
sauropod feeding mechanisms, articulated caudal vertebrae, expedition diary, two humeri, sauropod necks, sauropod bones, quarry maps, dinosaur beds, articulated vertebrae, bearer loads, pelvic elements, sauropod dinosaurs, marine horizons, geology notes, foot elements, bone loads, large sauropod, invertebrate fossils, skull elements, dorsal ribs, limb hones, excavation program, dorsal vertebrae, metal armature, plaster jackets Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
German East Africa, Museum of Natural History, British Museum, Hans Reck, Tendaguru Hill, Upper Saurian Bed, Upper Jurassic, Middle Saurian Bed, Edwin Hennig, Colonial Office, Assistant Secretary Smith, South Africa, Saurian Beds, Lower Cretaceous, Tanganyika Territory, North America, Louis Leakey, Courtesy of Museum, John Parkinson, New York, Dale Russell, Eberhard Fraas, Olduvai Gorge, United States, William Cutler New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Cooling rains were returning to the interior of eastern Africa, repeating a cycle stretching back countless millennia. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
sauropod feeding mechanisms, articulated caudal vertebrae, expedition diary, two humeri, sauropod necks, sauropod bones, quarry maps, dinosaur beds, articulated vertebrae, bearer loads, pelvic elements, sauropod dinosaurs, marine horizons, geology notes, foot elements, bone loads, large sauropod, invertebrate fossils, skull elements, dorsal ribs, limb hones, excavation program, dorsal vertebrae, metal armature, plaster jackets Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
German East Africa, Museum of Natural History, British Museum, Hans Reck, Tendaguru Hill, Upper Saurian Bed, Upper Jurassic, Middle Saurian Bed, Edwin Hennig, Colonial Office, Assistant Secretary Smith, South Africa, Saurian Beds, Lower Cretaceous, Tanganyika Territory, North America, Louis Leakey, Courtesy of Museum, John Parkinson, New York, Dale Russell, Eberhard Fraas, Olduvai Gorge, United States, William Cutler New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 37
books:
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- The Museum: Behind the Scenes at the British Museum by Rupert Smith on 16 pages
- The Penguin Atlas of World History: Volume 1: From Prehistory to the Eve of the French Revolution (Penguin Reference Books) by Hermann Kinder in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Social History Of The Third Reich by Richard Grunberger in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Berlin Between the Wars by Thomas Friedrich in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Home Front by Charles Whiting in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
See all 37 books this book cites
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