evolution

"For 150 million years, the skies didn't belong to birds--they belonged to the pterosaurs. These flying reptiles, which include the pterodactyls, shared the world with the nonavian dinosaurs until their extinction 65 million years ago. Some pterosaurs, such as the giant azhdarchids, were the largest flying animals of all time, with wingspans exceeding thirty feet and standing heights comparable to modern giraffes. This richly illustrated book takes an unprecedented look at these astonishing creatures, presenting the latest findings on their anatomy, ecology, and extinction. Pterosaurs features some 200 stunning illustrations, including original paintings by Mark Witton and photos of rarely seen fossils. After decades of mystery, paleontologists have finally begun to understand how pterosaurs are related to other reptiles, how they functioned as living animals, and, despite dwarfing all other flying animals, how they managed to become airborne. Here you can explore the fossil evidence of pterosaur behavior and ecology, learn about the skeletal and soft-tissue anatomy of pterosaurs, and consider the newest theories about their cryptic origins. This one-of-a-kind book covers the discovery history, paleobiogeography, anatomy, and behaviors of more than 130 species of pterosaur, and also discusses their demise at the end of the Mesozoic; The most comprehensive book on pterosaurs ever published; features some 200 illustrations, including original paintings by the author; covers every known species and major group of pterosaurs; describes pterosaur anatomy, ecology, behaviors, diversity, and more; encourages further study with 500 references to primary pterosaur literature"--.

Explores the Earth prior to dinosaurs and examines the creatures that lived here.

"Chronicles the 56-million-year journey of horses ..., exploring what our biological affinities and differences can tell us about the bond between horses and humans, and what our longtime companion might think and feel."--Provided by publisher.

Chronicles the evolution of insects and explains how evolutionary innovations have enabled them to disperse widely, occupy narrow niches, and survive global catastrophes. --Publisher's description.

Provides photographs and information about sharks, looking at shark biology, behavior, and diversity, among other subjects.

A presentation of dinosaurs as they are viewed by paleontologists, using up-to-date methods to discuss what dinosaurs were, what they did, and how they did it, and studying the dinosaur in relation to the fuller concept of natural history.

Argues that the Earth undergoes cycles of climate cooling, which result in population crashes, explaining how humans have had to evolve as a species in order to survive those cycles.

Chronicles the evolutionary history of insects, covering the nature and number of species, fossil insects, the development of wings, and various orders and eras, and includes over nine hundred photo- and electron micrographs, drawings, diagrams, and field photographs.