Books in the Life of the Past series

More than 10,000 years ago spectacularly large mammals roamed the pampas and jungles of South America. This book tells the story of these great beasts during and just after the Pleistocene, the geological epoch marked by the great ice ages. Megafauna describes the history and way of life of these animals, their comings and goings, and what befell them at the beginning of the modern era and the arrival of humans. It places these giants within the context of the other mammals then alive, describing their paleobiology-how they walked; how much they weighed; their diets, behavior, biomechanics; and the interactions among them and with their environment. It also tells the stories of the scientists who contributed to our discovery and knowledge of these transcendent creatures and the environment they inhabited. The episode known as the Great American Biotic Interchange, perhaps the most important of all natural history "e;experiments,"e; is also an important theme of the book, tracing the biotic events of both North and South America that led to the fauna and the ecosystems discussed in this book.

Showcases research of broad botanical and paleontological interest from the world's experts on Mesozoic plant life. This title covers various aspects of plant group - ranging from horsetails to ginkgophytes, from cycads to conifers - and relates them to key innovations in structure, phylogenetic relationships, Mesozoic vegetation.

An up-to-date exploration of vertebrate cave life during the Ice Age

Echinoderms (which include such animals as sea stars, crinoids or sea lilies, sea urchins, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers) have left useful fossil record. This volume highlights the modern study of fossil echinoderms.

Overs the years, the world was filled with fabulous creatures. There were wooly elephants and rhinos, saber-toothed cats, great wolves and lions, giant tortoises - and in Australia giant lizards. Megalania was one of those. This title tells the story of these amazing lizards and the world in which they lived.

The Ornithopods include Iguanodon, one of the first dinosaurs ever discovered and analyzed, and perhaps the best-documented group, the hadrosaurs or 'duckbilled dinosaurs.' The Ceratopsians include Triceratops, known for its distinctive three-horned skull and protective collar. This book collects information on these two groups of animals.

A vivid introduction to the dinosaurs of Spain