Grave secrets of dinosaurs: soft tissues and hard science

Description

Dinosaur bones and skeletons, even dinosaur eggs are not unusual, but rare soft-tissue fossils give tantalizing clues about the appearance and physiology of the ancient animals. Here, paleontologist Manning presents the most astonishing dinosaur fossil excavations of the past 100 years--including the recent discovery of a remarkably intact dinosaur mummy in the Badlands of North Dakota. Bone structure is just the beginning of our knowledge today, thanks to amazing digs like these. Drawing on new breakthroughs and cutting-edge techniques of analysis, Dr. Manning takes us on a globe-spanning tour of dinosaur mummy finds--from the first such excavation in 1908 to a baby dinosaur unearthed in 1980, from a dino with a heart in South Dakota to titanosaur embryos in Argentina. Using state-of-the-art technology to scan and analyze these discoveries, scientists can create incredibly lifelike portraits.--From publisher description.;Death of a dinosaur -- Old fossils and new tails -- Mummy -- Dinosaur mummies -- Manchester in the Badlands -- Preparing the campaign -- Excavating a past world -- The chemistry of death -- Space shuttles, airplanes and dinosaurs -- The delicate molecule of life -- Reconstructing dinosaurs -- Making dinosaurs walk.