The Tyrannosaur Chronicles: The Biology of the Tyrant Dinosaurs

Description

'Gripping and wonderfully informative' Tom Holland, New Statesman Adored by children and adults alike, Tyrannosaurus is the most famous dinosaur in the world, one that pops up again and again in pop culture, often battling other beasts such as King Kong, Triceratops or velociraptors in Jurassic Park. But despite the hype, Tyrannosaurus and the other tyrannosaurs are fascinating animals in their own right, and are among the best-studied of all dinosaurs. Tyrannosaurs started small, but over the course of 100 million years evolved into the giant carnivorous bone-crushers that continue to inspire awe in palaeontologists, screenplay writers, sci-fi novelists and the general public alike. Tyrannosaurus itself was truly impressive; it topped six tons, was more than 12m (40 feet) long, and had the largest head and most powerful bite of any land animal in history. The Tyrannosaur Chronicles tracks the rise of these dinosaurs, and presents the latest research into their biology, showing off more than just their impressive statistics - tyrannosaurs had feathers and fought and even ate each other. This book presents the science behind this research; it tells the story of the group through their anatomy, ecology and behaviour, exploring how they came to be the dominant terrestrial predators of the Mesozoic and, in more recent times, one of the great icons of biology.

David Hone is based at the University of London, where he is Lecturer in Zoology at Queen Mary University of London. He has published more than 50 academic papers on dinosaur biology and behaviour, with tyrannosaurs being of particular research interest, and his fieldwork has included some time on the famous Chinese deposits. David writes a regular blog for the Guardian, Lost Worlds, a major source of dino-info for the general public. David includes among his writing credits the BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs website. He has appeared on the Discovery Channel, BBC Radio 5 Live and RTE, been a consultant for National Geographic documentaries, and written articles for New Scientist, The Times, The Independent, The Telegraph, The New York Times, and many others. @Dave_Hone

Gripping and wonderfully informative -- Tom Holland * New Statesman * Spectacular * Nature * This book is a useful introduction to some of the most wonderfully terrifying animals ever to walk the Earth. * Wall Street Journal * In a single book Hone has been able to offer an up-to-date and exhaustive look at almost everyone's favourite dinosaur. What emerges ... is a living breathing animal that we are really just beginning to understand. * Spectator * ...Detailed and rigorous ... David Hone's enthusiasm for his subjects shines through, whether he's explaining their social lives, their evolution or their unique pelvic anatomy. * BBC Wildlife * If most of what you know about Tyrannosaurs is based on old Japanese movies or the Jurassic Park franchise, there will be many surprises ... a welcome touchstone volume for lovers of the terrible lizards. -- Natural History Hone provides a solid meal to feed the popular fascination with these tyrant lizards, easily digestible but made from ingredients that, at least in paleontological terms, are quite fresh. * Publisher's Weekly * This volume is the go-to for tyrant dinosaurs. * Library Journal * This book is easily read and understood. Adults will understand the information provided and ... interested young people will get much from it as well. * Prehistoric Times * This is an awesome dinosaur book. -- Professor Xu Xing, Chinese Academy of Sciences Dinosaurs are endlessly fascinating, and the massive, blood-thirsty tyrannosaurs are most popular (and scary) of the lot! Here, renowned dinosaur expert David Hone reveals their story, and how we know what we know about these most amazing of ancient reptiles. -- Professor Mike Benton, University of Bristol Tyrannosaurs are probably the world's favourite dinosaurs. But what do we really know about this group? David Hone reviews the biology, history, evolution, and behaviour of the tyrant kings - an excellent read, containing the very latest in our understanding of Tyrannosaurus rex and its closest relatives. -- Dr Tom Holtz, University of Maryland