Dinosaurs: The Textbook is a monument to our present understanding of these wonderful creatures. It is a book that takes the student on a journey through nearly every aspect of dinosaur biology, geology, and the history of their discovery. The book presents facts together with current ideas, notions, and controversies. Dr. Lucas presents dinosaurs as successful, living creatures that were merely different in appearance from animals living today.

Dr. Lucas has written a comprehensive book that is easily read and understood by students with little scientific background--a book that teaches students not only how to use scientific methods, but how to synthesize data to create their own ideas. In contrast with many dinosaur books from the past, Dr. Lucas, although indicating his own views, allows students the opportunity to think for themselves.

Table of Contents

A Dinosaur Dictionary

1 Dinosaur Hunters

2 Evolution, Phylogeny, and Classification

3 Fossils, Sedimentary Environments, and Geologic Time

4 The Origin of Dinosaurs

5 Theropods

6 Sauropodomorphs

7 Ornithopods

8 Stegosaurs and Ankylosaurs

9 Ceratopsians and Pachycephalosaurs

10 The Dinosaurian World

11 Dinosaur Trace Fossils

12 Dinosaur Biology and Behavior

13 Hot-Blooded Dinosaurs?

14 The Origin of Birds

15 Dinosaur Extinction

16 Dinosaurs in the Public Eye

Appendix A Primer of Dinosaur Anatomy

New Features

Expanded art and photo program. This is one of the hallmark strengths of the Lucas text. We added new photos and illustrations as appropriate to enhance the understanding of the prose.

New information on the latest dinosaur discoveries has been added, including the Microraptor from China and the Neuquenraptor from Argentina.

Spencer Lucas has updated the text with new and revised theories in the study of dinosaurs based on his research and reviewer requests.

The text now incorporates the newest ideas on bird origins.

Updated references have been added to the end-of-chapter lists.