Deep Alberta: Fossil Facts and Dinosaur Digs [Paperback]

John Acorn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 6, 2003

Alberta is well known for its fossil treasures, and author John Acorn is as keen on the long-dead creatures of Alberta as he is on the living. Here, John features 80 of the most noteworthy fossils, fossil locations, and fossil hunters from this most palaeontological of provinces. There's more to the story of "deep Alberta" than dinosaurs, but dinosaur fans will find all their favourite beasts here as well -- from Edmontosaurus to Tyrannosaurus rex, and everything in-between. Then there are the surprises, such as the world's oldest pike, the discovery of a venomous mammal, and the fossils found in such unlikely places as Edmonton and Calgary. Prepared with the collaboration of palaeontologists around Alberta, and the world-renowned Royal Tyrrell Museum, this is a book that is long overdue, and that deserves a place on everyone's bookshelf.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Alberta is well known for its fossil treasures, and author John Acorn is as keen on the long-dead creatures of Alberta as he is on the living ones. In Deep Alberta: Fossil Facts and Dinosaur Digs, John features 80 of the most noteworthy fossils, fossil locations and fossil hunters from this most palaeontological of provinces. There's more to the story of "deep Alberta" than dinosaurs, but dinosaur fans will find all their favourite beasts here as well—from Albertosaurus to Tyrannosaurus rex, and everything in-between. There are surprises: such as the world’s oldest pike, the discovery of a venomous mammal and the fossils found in such unlikely places as Edmonton and Calgary. Based on the CKUA radio series, Deep Alberta, and prepared in collaboration with palaeontologists from the world-renowned Royal Tyrrell Museum and elsewhere in Alberta, this book deserves a place on every bookshelf.

About the Author

John Acorn, a lifelong Albertan, lives in Edmonton with his wife Dena and their two boys, Jesse and Benjamin. When John isn’t chasing dinosaur bones or ladybugs, and writing books about them, he can be found lecturing at the University of Alberta, serving as spokesperson for the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, or addressing a variety of scientific and naturalist groups across North America. In 2008, he received NSERC's Michael Smith Award for Science Promotion.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: University of Alberta Press (February 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0888644817
• ISBN-13: 978-0888644817
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,429,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lavishly gorgeous and inspirational treat, July 8, 2007

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deep Alberta: Fossil Facts and Dinosaur Digs (Paperback)

Written by broadcaster and biologist John Acorn, Deep Alberta: Fossil Facts and Dinosaur Digs is an amazing glimpse into the dinosaur fossil legacy resting beneath the surface of Alberta, Canada. Based on the CKUA radio series "Deep Alberta", and prepared in collaboration with palaeontologists from the Royal Tyrrell Museum and elsewhere, Deep Alberta combines lively text with eye-catching full color photography on virtually every other page, from panoramic scenes of where fossils are found to unearthed bones and imagined reconstructions of prehistoric creatures. Deep Alberta is arranged more or less alphabetically, with each two-page spread devoted to the story behind a different geographic location, notable figure, or prehistoric species from "Basilemys, A Very Large Turtle" to "The Sternberg Family", a thumbnail biography of Canada's most famous dinosaur hunters. A lavishly gorgeous and inspirational treat for dinosaur and fossil lovers of all walks of life to page through.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fossils under your feet., April 5, 2008

By 

Dr. John W. Rippon "May 19, 1932 and still going" (Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Deep Alberta: Fossil Facts and Dinosaur Digs (Paperback)

The premise of this book is quite interesting. Walking over Alberta we wonder what has walked there before us. The author presents an excellent picture on one page and then a short, factual and/or historical account of that picture on the opposite page. The book first introduces the reader to the geology of Alberta with its various rock ages particulary the large areas of the late Cretaceous and the smaller areas of Cenozoic and other time periods. Of course most of the examples are Dinosaurs from the Cretaceous. After all Alberta has been famous for over a century for it finds in the Drumheller Badlands and the Red Deer River formation. Tyrannosaurus, Albertosaurus, Triceratops and many types of duck-billed dinosaurs are almost literally jumping out of the ground in Alberta. But the author wisely introduces a great variety of other fossil types not likely to be readily found in other sources. For example the first fossils discussed are Albanerpetonids - a type of primative amphibian. In fact a lissamphibian that includes all the extant amphibians of today. They date to the Jurassic and had a very toothy grin. In some of the Tertiary formations one has a variety of Alberta's camels, cheetahs, primates, crocodilisns, giant marine fish and dawn redwoods. The variety of life that has called Alberta home is enormous. This book is an excellent introduction to some of that variety.