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Title: Sea Dragons: Predators of the Prehistoric Oceans by Richard Ellis ISBN: 0-7006-1269-6 Publisher: Univ Pr of Kansas Pub. Date: October, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (4 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A very impressive review of Mesozoic ocean reptiles
Comment: This book has no real peer at the moment. Indeed, a comprehensive, detailed, but easily understandable book on marine reptilian predators of the Mesozoic has been long awaited, and overdue. These animals approached whales in size in some instances, and easily dwarfed their terrestrial counterparts. Indeed, a T Rex may have been only one eighth the size of the largest pliosaurs. Yet, most books on Mesozoic life have, until now, relegated these marvelous animals to one or two back chapters or sections at the most.
Author Ellis, a renowned illustrator, writer, and researcher, has produced a masterpiece. His drawings of these seagoing reptiles are impeccable, if sometimes a bit speculative, and enable the reader to capably visualize these gigantic creatures.
Likewise, the text is enormously informative, not only about such FAQ's as size, weight, methods of reproduction, etc., but also on more arcane matters, such as how these huge beasts propelled themselves quickly and efficiently through the water. One glance at a long-necked, flippered plesiosaurus reveals that the answer to this problem is far from simple.
After an excellent introduction, the author covers icthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, pliosaurs, and mosasaurs in turn. Ellis then concludes with what seems to be the mandatory conclusion to any Mesozoic book; i.e., what caused all of these fabulously efficient, dominant predators to disappear in one fell swoop.
I found this book enormously enjoyable, and it was one of my best Christmas presents in years. I shall read it again and again. Anyone with a high school background will enjoy this book to the hilt, and my recommendation is extremely high.
By the way, this is the sort of book one loans out only very carefully.
Rating: 5
Summary: Splendid Book on Mesozoic Marine Reptiles
Comment: Acclaimed marine illustrator and author Richard Ellis offers a splendid, long-overdue look on Mesozoic marine reptiles in his latest book, "Sea Dragons: predators of the prehistoric oceans". This is a slightly technical book that is aimed for those in the general public already familiar with Mesozoic vertebrate paleobiology after reading books from the likes of Robert Bakker, Gregory Paul and others. Ellis excels in incorporating the latest research on these extinct denizens of Mesozoic seas, often opting to quote directly from the published papers of the authors themselves. He begins with a splendid critique of the so-called "Loch Ness Monster", reminding us that it was a hoax perpetrated by several enthusiastic British in 1934. Then he offers a brief overview of the real monsters of the Mesozoic. In subsequent chapters he offers extensive overviews of Ichtyosaurs, Plesiosaurs, Pliosaurs, and Mosasaurs. Last, but not least, he muses on the nature of extinction, trying to explain why these elegant creatures - the marine counterparts of the nonavian dinosaurs - became extinct. My only criticism - and it is a relatively minor one - is Ellis's failure to describe phylogenetic systematics - better known to both its practitioners and critics as cladistics - which he refers to repeatedly in his technical descriptions of these creatures. Still, this is an important general overview of Mesozoic marine life which shouldn't be missed by those interested in Mesozoic vertebrate paleobiology.
Rating: 5
Summary: This is the book I have been waiting for!
Comment: There is a great deal of information regarding the life of prehistoric aquatic reptiles. Unfortunately, these amazing creatures have always been relegated to a single chapter in the majority of dinosaur-oriented books (No, these creatures were not dinosaurs, nor were they related to them). Or the most in-depth publications were steeped in the literature of scientific texts.
Richard Ellis, like Robert Bakker and Carl Zimmer, has opened the door for the rest of us. Through this great book he is allowing us-- the average reader with an interest in the sciences-- to be a part of that world. His book is a total compendium that describes all the major families of these reptiles: Icthyosaurs, Mosasaurs, Pliosaurs, and of course that perennial candidate for the Loch Ness Monster, the Plesiosaurs.
Thank you, Richard Ellis. I love this book!
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Title: Dinosaurs and Other Mesozoic Reptiles of California by Richard P. Hilton ISBN: 0520233158 Publisher: University of California Press Pub. Date: August, 2003 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
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Title: A Field Guide to Dinosaurs : The Essential Handbook for Travelers in the Mesozoic by Henry Gee, Luis V. Rey ISBN: 0764155113 Publisher: Barrons Educational Series Pub. Date: March, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Ice Age Mammals of North America by Ian Lange, illustrator Dorothy S. Norton ISBN: 0878424032 Publisher: Mountain Press Publishing Company Pub. Date: October, 2002 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: When Life Nearly Died: The Greatest Mass Extinction of All Time by Michael Benton, Michael J. Benton ISBN: 050005116X Publisher: Thames & Hudson Pub. Date: May, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Dinosaurs: The Encyclopedia (Dinosaurs. the Encyclopedia, Supplement 3) by Donald F. Glut, Luis M., Ph.D. Chiappe, Luis M. Chappe ISBN: 0786415185 Publisher: McFarland & Company Pub. Date: December, 2003 List Price(USD): $95.00 |
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