An authoritative illustrated guide to the fearsome predators that dominated the Mesozoic world for 180 million years New discoveries are transforming our understanding of the theropod dinosaurs revealing startling new insights into the lives and look of these awesome predators The Princeton Field Guide to Predatory Dinosaurs provides the most up to date and comprehensive coverage of the mighty hunters that ruled the earth for tens of millions of years This incredible guide covers some 300 species and features stunning illustrations of predatory theropods of all shapes and sizes It discusses their history anatomy physiology locomotion reproduction growth and extinction and even gives a taste of what it might be like to travel back to the Mesozoic This one of a kind guide also discusses the controversies surrounding these marvelous creatures taking up such open questions as the form and habitats of the gigantic Spinosaurus and the number of Tyrannosaurus species that may have existed Features detailed species accounts of some 300 theropod dinosaurs with the latest size and mass estimates Shares new perspectives on iconic predators such as T rex and Velociraptor Covers everything from the biology of predatory dinosaurs to the colorful history of paleontolo
Hsu, geologo cinese di formazione americana, e riuscito in questo libro a raccontare il "caso" dei dinosauri, i quali incontrarono alla fine del Cretaceo quella che, su scala geologica, deve considerarsi una morte improvvisa. Tale evento si presenta come una imbarazzante anomalia rispetto alla teoria darwiniana. Molte sono le cause invocate per dare ragione di questi eventi. La teoria di Hsu, che individua la causa nell'impatto di un corpo di tale massa da provocare mutamenti radicali nello habitat, e ritenuta fra le piu solide e suffragate.
