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The Dinosaur Filmography is now available in Paperback! It is of course written by our own by Mark F. Berry with a foreword by Donald Lessem so I have to start my reviews with it. ISBN 0-7864-2453-2 $39.95 This book is packed with an enormous amount of information including things I guarantee you didn't know and will find interesting plus; you know Mark, often very funny. Mark's research is beyond incredible and this dino movie "bible" will be "heaven" for any dinosaur fan with extremely conprehensive details about every movie that included a prehistoric animal. Mark's very enjoyable history lesson includes classics like King Kong, to beloved B-movies like The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, to blockbusters like Jurassic Park. Arranged alphabetically by title, it contains basic facts (year of release, country of origin, studio, and running time), followed by a concise plot summary, Mark's critical commentary, information on the production and the people behind it, and secrets of the special effects laced with tons of rare movie stills and posters. Three useful appendices feature films with minor dinosaur content, planned but unfinished dinosaur movies, and the quasi-dinosaurs of Toho Studios. Be sure to pick up this absolute must for your dino library from Mark F. Berry. An easy way to do that is through the publisher at www.mcfarlandpub.com
Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed (Life of the Past) Hardcover edited by Philip J. Currie and EvaB. Koppelhus $49.95 648 pages Publisher: Indiana University Press; CD-Rom edition ISBN: 0253345952. Dinosaur Provincial Park is located in Alberta, Canada, and is one of the grand natural locales in the world. It has also produced an abundance of dinosaur fossils, including specimens from every known group of dinosaurs from the Cretaceous period. This book, published in celebration of the site's 50th anniversary, is the first scientific overview of the park, its flora and fauna, its major fossil discoveries, and its ecology. Philip J. Currie and Eva B.Koppelhus, along with a team of 32 other scientists, present a comprehensive synthesis of information. Chapters include studies of the park's geology, paleoecology, bonebeds, and taphonomic modes. Other chapters summarize the mollusks, fishes, amphibians, crocodylians, and pterosaurs, among other extinct denizens of the park. And, of course, there are studies of the major dinosaur and mammal discoveries at the site. A special color insert features life reconstructions of the Park's animals by some of the world's finest paleo-artists. The book also includes a CD-ROM with additional data and photographs. Philip J.Currie is Curator of Dinosaurs at the Royal Tyrrell Museum ofPalaeontology. Eva B. Koppelhus is an adjunct research scientist at theRoyal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
The Human Past: World Prehistory and the Development of Human Societies (Paperback) by Chris Scarre (Editor) List Price: $63.90 Paperback: 784 pages Publisher: Thames & Hudson ISBN: 0500285314 An introductory world prehistory textbook that presents the vast panorama of human social, cultural, and economic development over three million years. A team of leading archaeologists from North America, Europe, and Australasia, well-known specialists in their fields, providea seamless, authoritative account of human prehistory. The Human Past highlights the enormous diversity of human experience and the ways in which archaeologists are able to learn about it. It provides an introductory account that takes the student through the human past on a regional and chronological framework, focusing as much on the archaeology of the everyday as on the spectacular and unusual. The text is accompanied by hundreds of specially commissioned diagrams and photographs, many in full color, that illustrate key sites, artifacts, and regions, as well as clear time lines and maps for each chapter. 700 illustrations, 500 in color.
The Rise of Placental Mammals : Origins and Relationships of the Major Extant Clades (Hardcover) by Kenneth D. Rose, J. David Archibald $95.00 280 pages Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press ISBN:080188022X Fantastic scientific reading for all mammal systematicists and anyone interested in the evolution of mammals. From shrews to bluewhales, placental mammals are among the most diverse and successful vertebrates on the Earth. Arising sometime near the Late Cretaceous, this broad clade of mammals contains more than 1,000 genera and approximately 4,400 extant species. Although much studied, the origin and diversification of the placentals continue to be a source of debate. Paleontologists Kenneth D. Roseand J. David Archibald have assembled the world's leading authorities to providea comprehensive and up-to-date evolutionary history of placental mammals. The book is packed with an amazing amount of scientific contributors.Focusing on anatomical evidence, the contributors present an unbiased scientific account of the relationships of placental mammals, representing both the consensus and significant minority viewpoints. An invaluable book to paleontologists, evolutionary biologists, mammal-ogists, and students. Kenneth D. Rose is a professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a research associate at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. J. David Archibald is Professorof Biology and Curator of Mammals at San Diego State University.
Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America: Volume 1, Terrestrial Carnivores, Ungulates, and Ungulate like Mammals by Christine M. Janis (Editor), Kathleen M. Scott (Editor), Louis L. Jacobs (Editor) Paperback $85.00 703 pages Publisher: Cambridge University Press ISBN: 0521355192 This volume provides a compilation of descriptive taxonomy and paleobiology of North American Tertiary mammals, with special emphasis on providing a compilation of faunal locality. It is a compendium of the cumulative knowledge of more than 100 years of discovery and study of North American tertiary mammals. The potentially most valuable contribution of this book is the detailed information of the distribution in timeand space of each species at fossil localities, so that each chapter provides the same level of information. Thirty sixchapters are devoted to a particular family or order, written by leading NorthAmerican authorities, including discussion of anatomical features, systematics, and paleobiology. Three introductory chapters summarize information on the geological time scale, Tertiaryvegetation, and Pleistocene events, and four summary chapters integratesystematic and biogeographic information for higher taxa.This book will serve as a data base for continuing studies in faunal diversification and change, and for questions such as how changing biogeography and climates influenced the evolution of mammalian communities. An invaluable addition to the libraries of paleontologists andzoologists.
Twilight of the Mammoths : Ice Age Extinctions and the Rewilding of America (Organisms and Environments) (Hardcover) by Paul S. Martin $29.95 Hardcover: 240 pages Publisher: University of California Press ISBN: 0520231414 The Earth was once a paradise of just the right balance of giant prehistoric mammals and many other animals and then Homo sapiens came along, and one by one these great beasts disappeared. Early humans hunted to excess, destroyed animal habitats, and introduced alien species and diseases into a once pristine wilderness. This is paleontologist Martin's controversial "overkill" theory of megafauna extinction, one he has devoted the last 50 years of his life to resolving. Paleontologist Martin writes a lively and highly entertaining look at one of the most controversial issues in his field of geoscience: the argument that all extinctions of wild animals in the last 50,000 years were caused by humans and not by climate change. As one of the leading advocates of this theory, Martin uses his own extensive research to make his case. He draws on studies from around the world, and brings alive on the page such extinct creatures as mammoths, mastodons and ground sloths, which he shows were present in North America before the arrival of prehistoric people. He fairly presents opposing arguments and displays his ability to explain complex concepts in understandable ways. 17 b&w photos, 12 line drawings.
The Microstructure of Dinosaur Bone : Deciphering Biology with Fine-Scale Techniques (Hardcover) by Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan $85.00 Hardcover: 216 pages Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press ISBN: 080188120X This book is completely devoted to the histology of fossil bone. Clues to the biology ofdinosaurs lie locked within the microscopic structure of their bones. Here one of the world's leading experts on fossil bone microstructure takes more than 150 years of historic scientific research and explains the meaning of dinosaur bone microstructure. In this first book dedicated to dinosaur bone microstructure, Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan begins with a general overview of living bone structure and composition and then explains how bone structure changes upon death and during fossilization. She meticulously unravels why the microscopic structure of fossil bone remains intact after millions of years of fossilization. She also provides a photographic atlas of the kinds of bone tissue found in dinosaurs and expounds on their biological significance. The final chapters offer insight into growth patterns of dinosaurs and the biology of Mesozoic birds. The book concludes with a reflective discussion on what bone microstructure can and cannot disclose about dinosaur physiology. Drawing from sources across the field of bone histology, Chinsamy-Turan paints a fantastic view of the current state of the science and presents a fresh perspective on the relevance of the field to understanding the Dinosauria. Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan is a professor of zoology of the University of CapeTown, South Africa.
Dactyls! Dragons of the Air (Step into Reading) (Paperback) by Robert T. Dr Bakker, Luis Rey (Illustrator) $3.99 Ages 9-12 Paperback: 48 pages Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers ISBN: 0375830138 A fantastic and colorful new book for children on pterosaurs hasjust been released written by renowned paleontologist Dr. Robert T. Bakker that explains how scientists observe fossils and living animals to determine how "dactyls" flew, walked, climbed, fed and more. Also included for the first time ever is his latest, still-unnamed discovery; an unusual pterosaur with sharp-edged, backwards curved teeth, nicknamed "Snaggle Tooth." Fun and interesting reading with the always amazing paintings of Luis Rey.
Fossil Detective: Tyrannosaurus Rex & Fossil Detective Triceratops Hardcover by Dennis Schatz $16.95 ISBN: 1592233732 & 1592233759 Silver Dolphin Books. Here are two brand new books children can really dig! In the first book, at an excavation site in Montana, young readers hunt for fossils and clues to solve a 75-million-year-old mystery. What killed theTyrannosaurus Rex they've discovered? In the second book the fossilized bones of a Triceratops have just been discovered in the Badlands of South Dakota. With this kit containing fossilized bones embedded in rock, excavation tools, and a 40-page book, adventurous young readers play "Sherlock Bones" as they attempt to solve the 65 million-year-old mystery of what killed this 3 -horned giant. This all-inclusive kit gives readers the chance to extract fossils and bones included with the book. After digging up the bones,children can assemble the mighty meat-eater's skeleton and display it in a diorama. The books guide readers with detailed illustrations, maps, time-lines, a pictorial glossary, and lots of dino trivia.
Dinosaurs (Petit Theatre Books) (Board book) by Benedicte Guettier, Catherine Hurtut (Creator) $11.95 For PT readers with preschool children comes a book fun to play with, and a unique way of demystifying a potentially frightening subject. This colorful and sturdy board book with a circle cut out for a child's (or adult's) face is just about the best, most original way to introduce books-and dinosaurs!
With the release of King Kong on DVD and the new King Kong movie by Peter Jackson, you're going to see a lot of items to buy now heralding the giant ape! I must start out by telling you about Merian C. Cooper's King Kong : A Novel (Paperback) by Joe DeVito, Brad Strickland Publisher: St.Martin's Griffin ISBN: 0312349157 $12.95; the new book written by Joe DeVito and Brad Strickland."Who'd it get?" Driscoll asked as the last of the men made it. "Jackson," one of the sailors gasped. "He never had a chance." Driscoll counted heads. " Where 's Fredericks? Everybody else is-" Denham cut him off, "Look!" Driscoll saw the sudden crimsom bloom of blood as the dinosaur seized Fredericks 's leg and dragged him from his perch."Yes, in Joe and Brad's new book, the sailor eaten in the tree by the Brontosaurus on Skull island is me. As Joe's tribute to Prehistoric Times magazine and its wacky editor, he named the character after me. Thanks Joe. I can think of no better honor than to be eaten by a dinosaur in your new Kong book. This brand new version of the King Kong story has a color cover and about 7 b&w interior illustrations by Joe. The new book Merian C. Cooper's KING KONG will be the only new KING KONG story specifically authorized with the name of King Kong's creator, Merian C.Cooper. Written by Joe DeVito and Brad Strickland, it will be an extensive rewrite of the original KING KONG novel first published in 1932. While remaining in the same 1930's time frame, the adventure will greatly expand on the original story, and update it stylistically, socially and paleontologically. It will also tie in to the newly released Cooper Estate authorized prequel/sequel to KING KONG, KONG: King of Skull Island, a visual novel by Joe DeVito and co-written with Brad Strickland that will fascinate all readers, both young and old. It digs deep into the lore of Kong and his island and answers many of the mysteries surrounding Kong and raises some of its own. A full four additional chapters have been added to expand and add nuance to the story, particularly in regard to Kong's rampage through New York City, and to supply paleontological accuracy in the encounters with the island's dinosaurs. Characters are developed more fully, and the island's native inhabitants are portrayed more roundly as well. Just a fantastic new read who's time has come, please be sure and pick up this new paperback. Also sent to us by our big fan Joe DeVito (who we are also very much a fan of) Dark Horse offers a softcover version of Joe's' Kong: King of Skull Island' book as well. The main addition to this over the hardback is that it has six additional pages in Carl Denham's sketchbook section with more cool creature and island details. It is going for $19.95. Other new Kong books, many we hope to review in the next issue of PT include: The Island of the Skull (King Kong) by Matthew Costello, Living Dangerously : The Adventures of Merian C. Cooper, Creator of King Kong by Mark Vaz. From Pocket books comes Kong Unbound by Karen Haber, The World of King Kong: A Natural History of Skull island by Weta Workshop (another beautifully illustrated book), The Making of King Kong by Jenny Wake, Kong: The 8th Wonder of the World by Christopher Golden and more. Harper Collins offers a series of children's readers and coloring books based upon Jackson's Kong movie too.If you are having trouble finding the very popular King Kong action figures and other Kong toys from Playmates Toys, look no further than www.healthstones.com who was kind enough to send us a set. Very cool figures! Playmates also makes a set of three small figures based on the movie I received from my cowriter Riff Smith. Peter Jackson's Weta Works offers high end sculptures and busts based upon their new movie King Kong. These look absolutely phenomenal and include representations of Kong himself, the many new dinosaurs on Skull Island and their skulls, action scenes involving theVenture crew members and more. Go to the WetaWorks site or other similar sellers on the internet for more info. Kong Klix are Pez-like candy dispensers with Kong pictured on them, your movie theater and stores have many food-related Peter Jackson Kong items for sale. Get a Kong T-shirt through specially marked Kellogg's cereals. I've got my set of Topps Kong trading cards. Do you? And of course do not forget to get your King Kong DVD available in three different sets of discs plus Peter Jackson's Production Notes DVD set as pictured here to the right tells all about the making of the new film.
