A comprehensive new reference book that gives fascinating insight into the world of dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts. Researched and compiled by a team of experts in dinosaurs and other prehistoric life, DK's Dinosaur Encyclopedia answers thousands of intriguing questions about the dangerous world of dinosaurs. It presents an amazing variety of creatures, including early flying reptiles, the first fist, and the ape-like animals that set the scene for the evolution of the first humans. See the ferocious T-rex battle a gentle therizinosaur, or witness a giant, ground-dwelling bird chasing an early horse -- frighteningly realistic models and exceptional photography transport you straight into this ancient and terrifying world. Magnificent full-page reconstructions of prehistoric environments show these fascinating creatures in their natural habitats, from the Silurian seas to the grasslands of Pliocene America. This superb encyclopedia is divided into sections according to cladistics, making it easy to understand how different groups of animals evolved from common ancestors. A useful introduction provides an overview to understand fossils and evolution, followed by extensive sections covering different groups of prehistoric animals. Easy-to-use timeline bars on each page allow quick identification of the time period featured. At-a-glance scale indicators and fact boxes combine to provide the essentials on the prehistoric world. In addition, there is a comprehensive reference section providing a survey of the geological timescale, a biography section covering leading paleontologists, and an accessible glossary and index, making this a truly remarkable and compelling guide to all things prehistoric.
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
From water "woodlice" as big as a platter to Diplocaulus with boomerang-shaped heads, from the colossal titanosaur to Neanderthal "cave people," the world of prehistoric animals is mind-boggling. Budding young paleontologists will find everything they need to know to begin their studies with Dorling Kindersley's impressive Dinosaur Encyclopedia and Dinosaur Hunter CD-ROM. Divided into four sections--Fish and Invertebrates, Amphibians and Reptiles, Dinosaurs and Birds, and Mammals and Their Ancestors--the thick volume describes just what kinds of critters have walked, swum, slithered, and flown the earth. Breathtaking photographs, realistic models, and full-page reconstructions of prehistoric environments allow the reader to enter the mysterious landscapes of these ancient behemoths, while comprehensive and easy-to-use text explores how animals evolved, how scientists find and use fossils, and when, where, and how various creatures lived and died. A timeline bar enables readers to determine the geological era in which a given animal lived, fact boxes provide a quick profile of the main creature featured in each animal entry, and a large reference section provides a fossil timeline, paleontological processes, biographies of leading scientists, and tips for the amateur fossil hunter. Wow! All this, and fun to read, too! (Ages 8 and older) --Emilie Coulter
From Booklist
Though designed for ages eight and up, this resource, published in conjunction with the American Museum of Natural History, offers information for fossil hunters and dinosaur fans of all ages. The title is somewhat misleading because the volume covers other prehistoric animals besides dinosaurs.
Arrangement is based on cladistics to make it "easier to understand how different groups of animals evolved from common ancestors." Chapters cover "Fish and Invertebrates," "Amphibians and Reptiles," "Dinosaurs and Birds," and "Mammals and Their Ancestors." Within these chapters are numerous two-page spreads treating more-specific topics, such as Jawless fish, Plated dinosaurs, and Early carnivores. Each spread includes a fact box, a time line for quick identification of the period covered, numerous annotated illustrations, and a paragraph of basic information about the topic. Also included are two-page "realistic restorations" of various prehistoric animals in their natural habitats.
Additional information can also be found in the encyclopedia's reference section. Among the features in this section are a pronunciation guide, a list of famous fossil sites, an explanation of paleontology terms and concepts, a description of fossil-hunting techniques, and short biographies of nearly 100 scientists and paleontologists past and present. Listings of dinosaur displays around the world and dinosaur information on the Internet are useful for those wanting even more information.
A characteristic DK publication, this encyclopedia is attractive and easy to navigate. Dinosaur fans will be drawn to the illustrations and photographs. Public and school libraries will be well served by this title. It makes a good, inexpensive, single-volume complement to more in-depth examinations, such as Dinosaurs of the World (Marshall Cavendish, 1999). REVWR
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Misleading Title!!,
By HBeano (Cambridge, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dinosaur Encyclopedia: From Dinosaurs to the Dawn of Man (Hardcover)
The title of this book is misleading, I was expecting hundreds of pages on dinosaurs but that's not what I got!! Nevertheless it has good information on the prehistoric life and evolution of : Fish and invertebrates,amphibians and reptiles,dinosaurs and birds and mammals and their ancestors. The reference section in itself is almost half the book; among other things it includes a geological time chart, biographies of geologists and a good glossary. I really do think that this book should have a different title.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
wrong name for an excellent book,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Dinosaur Encyclopedia: From Dinosaurs to the Dawn of Man (Hardcover)
I originally bought this book for my grand children who love dinosaurs,and ended up keeping it.This book is not just about dinosaurs but it is about the evolution of life from the beginning.As usual Dorling Kindersley produced an excellent book superbly illustrated.I highly recommend it for people of any age.It is now part of my library.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
There's more than dinosaurs, and they finally get attention!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Dinosaur Encyclopedia: From Dinosaurs to the Dawn of Man (Hardcover)
This book is one of a brilliant few that tries to explore the prehistoric world as more than just dinosaurs (and the similar Mesozoic animals). Instead, there is a great overview of every major group, with many animals being discussed that most people would not be aware of. It's great to see the opportunity for someon's horizons to be broadened, even if the information is mostly introductory. It's also great to see a book that doesn't end with the usual discussion of human evolution as if that is an apex) but instead discusses it among primate evolution, early in the mammal section.The only reservation about this book is the title, which might be misleading (but at least it would be a good surprise, not a disappointment).
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Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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open woodland where, toothless beak, horned dinosaurs, thumb claws, hoofed mammals, tail core, chewing teeth, living elephants, interlocking teeth, powerful bite, related genus Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
North America, South America, Late Cretaceous Related, Plants Habitat, Late Jurassic, Meat Habitat, Early Jurassic, Europe Time, Early Cretaceous, Asia Time, Age of Dinosaurs, Late Triassic, Mid Jurassic, Early Permian, Late Devonian Related, Old World, South Africa, Floodplain Where, Leaves Habitat, Late Carboniferous, Fish Habitat, United States, Late Permian Related, Worldwide Time, New World Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
open woodland where, toothless beak, horned dinosaurs, thumb claws, hoofed mammals, tail core, chewing teeth, living elephants, interlocking teeth, powerful bite, related genus Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
North America, South America, Late Cretaceous Related, Plants Habitat, Late Jurassic, Meat Habitat, Early Jurassic, Europe Time, Early Cretaceous, Asia Time, Age of Dinosaurs, Late Triassic, Mid Jurassic, Early Permian, Late Devonian Related, Old World, South Africa, Floodplain Where, Leaves Habitat, Late Carboniferous, Fish Habitat, United States, Late Permian Related, Worldwide Time, New World Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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