Grade 6 Up. Though paleontology is the study of life from millions of years ago, the field itself is relatively new. Two-hundred years ago, no one knew dinosaurs existed. Through eight detailed biographical profiles of paleontologists, Clinton shows how far the study of ancient life-forms has come. The first chapter covers Georges Cuvier, who was one of the first scientists to speculate what kind of creatures left behind such enormous fossilized bones. Gideon Mantell discovered the Iguanodon and came up with the phrase "The Age of Reptiles." He was followed by Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope, who were fiercely competitive about uncovering fossils. More recent figures include Robert Bakker, who believes some dinosaurs may have been warm-blooded, and John Horner, who discovered dinosaurs that cared for their young. The author is frank about some of the less-than-perfect personalities of these men and how their natures influenced their work. There's enough information in each chapter to provide facts for a report, but the book also provides a history of paleontology when read cover-to-cover. The black-and-white photos and reproductions are a bit dark; the bibliography and list of Internet sites will be useful.?Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 6^-10. Clinton carefully documents the discoveries of eight major scientists involved in dinosaur paleontology, but it's the stories of professional jealousy, eccentric behavior, Indiana Jones^-like adventures, phenomenal perseverance, and plain, old scientific genius that make this a wonderful read. The profiles are necessarily brief, but Clinton provides fairly detailed information on how the scientists arrived at their conclusions and how each succeeding generation builds on the knowledge of the past and challenges conventional thinking. Black-and-white photographs, an extensive bibliography, and a list of Internet resources are provided. Chris Sherman
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