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Over 28 colour photographs
Over 920 illustrations
Over 358 animals

• The ultimate reference to over 355 dinosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous eras



• A lavishly illustrated guide to the world's best-known and lesser-known dinosaurs, with informative descriptions, evocative and intricate watercolour reconstructions, anatomical artworks, depictions of their habitats, and location maps of fossil sites



• An explanation of the classification of dinosaurs with all the key groups included: sauropods, theropods, ornithopods, ankylosaurs, stegosaurs, carnosaurs, ornithopods, polacanthids, diplodocids, iguanodonts, boneheads, and many more



• Includes non-dinosaurs such as placodonts, mosasaurs, ichthyosaurs, nothasaurs, plesiosurs and ptersoaurs



• Informative identification text provides a colourful description of each creature, maps locate the sites where the fossils have been excavated, and technically accurate watercolours show how each looked according to the latest scientific understanding



• Features a fascinating overview of the evolution of the earth's geology, the development of life on earth and the arrival and adapation of the dinosaurs, the processes of fossilisation, and the history and development of dinosaur discovery and excavation techniques



• Written by a highly regarded authority in the field of paleantology and dinosaur studies



• With more than 900 stunning colour illustrations, artworks and photographs

Here is the ultimate book for dinosaur lovers - a complete identification guide featuring more than 350 dinosaurs, illustrated according to the most recent scientific understanding and written by an acknowledged expert.

A comprehensive introduction explains the evolution of earth's geology and the development of animal and plant life within it, culminating in the Age of Dinosaurs 245 million years ago. It explains dinosaur classification and shows how they developed from the smallest fox-size meat-eater, adapted to move quickly on two legs, to the largest dinosaurs with the greatest body mass and an array of complex armour.

Fascinating anatomical drawings demonstrate the skeletal make up of the different dinosaurs and explain how they functioned, moved and lived. An analysis of fossils provides theories about what dinosaurs ate; fossil footprints explain how they socialized; and the discovery of dinosaur eggs gives an insight into how dinosaurs formed colonies. The different habitats where dinosaurs lived are all depicted, from deserts to lagoons, lakes, mountains, swamps and plains, together with fossil evidence that helps to explain their presence in each site. Finally the role of the dinosaur hunters is explained, with a glimpse at how fossils are excavated, and where the most important fossil sites are in the world.

The main section of the book is an encyclopedia of more than 350 dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures, arranged according to type. Each entry contains a description of the creature's key identifying features, evolutionary adaptations and details of the fossil evidence found. A map shows where in the modern world the relevant fossils have been found, and key details are included such as classification, dimensions, the period of time when the creature lived, and its lifestyle. Each main entry is illustrated with a beautiful and technically accurate full colour watercolour artwork.

This unique volume, with its unprecedented combinaton of the latest expert research and beautiful visual reconstruction, will be an endless source of pleasure for dinosaur enthusiasts and an essential family reference for school and home study.

About the Authors

Dougal Dixon - Author

Dougal Dixon was born in Scotland and later graduated from The University of St Andrews with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1970 and a Master of Science degree in 1972. He began his career as a geological consultant for a publishing company in 1973, nurturing a special interest in fossils and evolution. He is now a full-time writer specializing in earth sciences and has written many children's books and encylopedia with a special interest in dinosaurs. He has made several television appearances and acted as a consultant and animator for a video programme about dinosaurs. As a practical geologist he took part in the 1995 Open University/Earthwatch expedition to Askja Caldera in central Iceland. In 1987 he was involved in excavating a dinosaur-rich site in Jurassic rocks at Durlston on the Dorset coast. Dougal was presented with the Distinguished Achievement Award for Excellence in Educational Journalism by The Educational Press Association of America in 1993, the Helen Roney Sattler Award in 1993, The Children's Book Council 1994 Outstanding Trade Science Book Award, and The Times Educational Supplement Primary Schoolbook Award in 1996. In the same year he was appointed as a trustee of the Dinosaur Society, UK.