Ecology and Behaviour of Mesozoic Reptiles

ISBN-13: 9783642061240 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 219 str.

John L. Cloudsley-Thompson

Opis

Our knowledge of extinct animals depends almost entirely upon the study of fossils. This richly illustrated book clothes the skeletons of dinosaurs and other Mesozoic reptiles with flesh, and shows how these fascinating animals evolved and probably lived. Expert author John L. Cloudsley-Thompson provides an interesting synthesis of current views on their ecology, physiology and behaviour, and outlines the various hypotheses that have been proposed to explain their extinction. Numerous beautiful drawings of the animals and their environment illustrate this exciting monograph.

Recenzje

From the reviews:

"... This book offers a very reader-friendly introduction to the surprising detail that can be recovered from the fossil record. Zoologist John Cloudsley-Thompson outlines the reptilian lifesyles associated with marine, aerial and terrestrial environments, and looks at the different fossil groups that occupied them.  .... his biological viewpoint and language will be welcomed by many. " (BBC Wildlife Magazine)

"This book offers a very reader-friendly introduction to the surprising detail that can be recovered from the fossil record. ... The author, an expert in living amphibians and reptiles ... . his biological viewpoint and language will be welcomed by many." (Douglas Palmer, BBC Wildlife Magazine, Vol. 23 (6), June, 2005)

Spis treści

1. Classification 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Amphibians 1.3 Reptiles 1.4 Note on Colouration 2. Diversification of Palaeozoic Reptiles 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Continental Drift 2.3 Reptilian Ancestors 2.4 Anapsid Reptiles 2.5 Synapsid Reptiles 3. The Mesozoic Environment 3.1 Introduction 3.2 The Triassic Period 3.3 The Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods 4. Amphibious Mesozoic Reptiles 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Locomotion 4.3 Testudines 4.4 Placodonts and Nothosaurs 4.5 Thalattosaurs, Mosasaurs and Other Sea Lizards 4.6 Champsosaurs, Phytosaurs and Crocodilians 5. Plesiosaurs and Ichthyosaurs 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Swimming 5.3 Plesiosaurs 5.4 Ichthyosaurs 6. Aerial Mesozoic Reptiles 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Gliding Reptiles 6.3 Pterosaur Flight 6.4 Locomotion on the Ground 6.5 Rhamphorynchoids 6.6 Pterodactyloids 6.7 Life styles 6.8 Extinction 6.9 Summary 7. Terrestrial Mesozoic Reptiles 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Quadrupedal Locomotion 7.3 Bipedal Locomotion 7.4 Weight and Size Limits 7.5 Physiology 7.6 Tachymetabolism 7.7 Brachymetabolic Thermoregulation 7.8 Hair and Feathers 7.9 Conclusions 8. Therapsids, Anapsids and Early Diapsids 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Therapsids and the Origin of Mammals 8.3 Anapsids 8.4 Early Diapsids 9. The Dinosaurs: Weapons, Display and Reproduction 9.1 The Earliest Dinosaurs 9.2 Dinosaur Weapons 9.3 Reproduction 10. Herbivorous Dinosaurs 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Teeth, Gastroliths and Digestion 10.3 Basal Sauropodomorphs –Prosauropods 10.4 Sauropods 10.5 Herbivorous Bipeds 10.6 Horned, Plated and Armoured Dinosaurs 11. Carnivorous Dinosaurs 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Dentition 11.3 Ceratosaurs 11.4 Carnosaurs 11.5 The Origin of Birds 12. The Cretaceous Extinction 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Terminal Mesozoic Events 12.3 Dinosaur Extinction: Improbable Hypotheses 12.4 Catastrophic Hypotheses 12.5 Gradualist Hypotheses 12.6 Conclusion Epilogue Bibliography Subject Index