Author(s): John L. Long

Reptiles

New fossil evidence makes clear that not all dinosaurs suffered extinction 65 million years ago. It's a revelation that has profoundly changed the way we perceive the natural world and has given us a new understanding about the origins of birds. We now believe that all living birds are descendants of certain predatory dinosaurs, the theropods. Indeed, many theropods are preserved with feathers as part of their skin. The transition from small, feathered dinosaur to primitive flying bird is now accepted as an anatomically seamless evolutionary event. Feathered Dinosaurs dramatically brings to life all the known groups of dinosaurs that bore feathers. Through the eyes of one of the world's most acclaimed natural history artists, Peter Schouten, their peculiar physical traits are matched with living creatures to develop a series of imaginative life paintings of this fascinating extinct group. Palaeontologist and popular science author John Long provides an easily readable text that explains each of the steps in going from dinosaur to bird, and how flight evolved.