The Princeton Field Guide to Pterosaurs / / Gregory S. Paul.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter EBOOK PACKAGE COMPLETE 2022 English
• VerfasserIn: Paul, Gregory S.,
• Place / Publishing House: Princeton, NJ : : Princeton University Press, , [2022]; ©2022
• Year of Publication: 2022
• Language: English
• Series: Princeton Field Guides ; 155
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (184 p.) :; Color + b/w illus.

The most up-to-date and authoritative illustrated guide to the marvelous flying reptiles that dominated the skies of the Mesozoic for 160 million yearsOnce seen by some as evolutionary dead-enders, pterosaurs were vigorous winged reptiles capable of thriving in an array of habitats and climates, including polar winters. The Princeton Field Guide to Pterosaurs transforms our understanding of these great Mesozoic archosaurs of the air. This incredible guide covers 115 pterosaur species and features stunning illustrations of pterosaurs ranging in size from swallows to small sailplanes, some with enormous, bizarre head crests and elongated beaks. It discusses the history of pterosaurs through 160 million years of the Mesozoic—including their anatomy, physiology, locomotion, reproduction, growth, and extinction—and even gives a taste of what it might be like to travel back to the Mesozoic. This one-of-a-kind guide also challenges the common image of big pterosaurs as ultralights that only soared, showing how these spectacular creatures could be powerful flappers as heavy as bears.Features detailed species accounts of 115 different kinds of pterosaurs, with the latest size and mass estimatesWritten and illustrated by the acclaimed researcher and artist who helped to redefine the anatomy and flight performance of pterosaursCovers everything from pterosaur biology to the colorful history of pterosaur paleontologyIncludes dozens of original skeletal drawings and full-color life studies

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- PREFACE -- INTRODUCTION -- HISTORY OF DISCOVERY AND RESEARCH -- WHAT IS A PTEROSAUR? -- DATING PTEROSAURS -- EVOLUTION OF PTEROSAURS AND THEIR WORLD -- EXTINCTION -- AFTER THE AGE OF PTEROSAURS -- BIOLOGY -- BEHAVIOR -- GROWTH -- ENERGETICS -- GIGANTISM -- MESOZOIC OXYGEN -- PTEROSAUR SAFARI -- IF PTEROSAURS SURVIVED -- PTEROSAUR CONSERVATION, KEEPING, AND CONSUMPTION -- WHERE PTEROSAURS ARE FOUND -- PTEROSAUR COUNT -- USING THE GROUP AND SPECIES DESCRIPTIONS -- Group and Species Accounts -- PTEROSAURS -- RHAMPHORHYNCHOIDS -- PTERODACTYLOIDS -- REFERENCES -- INDEX