"A wonderful volume. . . . From an aesthetic as well imaginative perspective, everyone-from novices to specialists-will delight in the extraordinary full-color art that graces all the pages of this work."---David E. Fastovsky, The Quarterly Review of Biology

Autorentext

Nathalie Bardet and Alexandra Houssaye are paleontologists and research directors at France’s National Museum of Natural History in Paris. Stéphane Jouve is a paleontologist and the manager of the geoscience collections at the Sorbonne. Peggy Vincent is a paleontologist and researcher at the National Museum of Natural History. Alain Bénéteau is a natural history illustrator who specializes in paleontology.

Zusammenfassung

A richly illustrated introduction to the spectacular reptiles that swam the oceans when dinosaurs roamed the land

During the Mesozoic era, 252 to 66 million years ago, dinosaurs ruled the land, but the ocean deeps were roiling with equally spectacular reptilesincluding giant predators. This richly illustrated, authoritative, and accessible book introduces readers to the world of these fascinating marine animals, whose predecessors returned to the seas a few million years after the first vertebrates emerged from the water. As we meet ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, mosasaurs, and many others, we learn about the astonishing anatomical, physiological, and behavioral adaptations that enabled these reptiles to become ocean dwellers again. We also learn about their living descendants, including sea turtles and sea snakes. Featuring stunning artwork depicting these prehistoric ocean creatures and photographs of their fossil remains, this book invites readers to discover the enthralling past of marine reptiles in all their extraordinary diversity.