The Princeton Field Guide to Mesozoic Sea Reptiles

Description

An authoritative illustrated guide to the mighty reptiles that dominated the seas of the Mesozoic for 185 million years New discoveries are revealing that many ancient oceangoing reptiles were energetic animals capable of inhabiting an array of watery habitats and climates, including polar winters. The Princeton Field Guide to Mesozoic Sea Reptiles provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive coverage of the great Mesozoic groups that commanded the seas for tens of millions of years. This incredible field guide covers 435 species and features stunning illustrations of swimming reptiles ranging in size from little lizards to others with great necks longer than their bodies. It discusses the history of sea reptiles through 185 million years of the Mesozoic, their anatomy, physiology, locomotion, reproduction and 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 these reptiles as giants of the prehistoric waters, showing how the largest weighed far less than today’s biggest whales. Features detailed species accounts of 435 different kinds of sea reptiles, with the latest size and mass estimatesWritten and illustrated by the acclaimed researcher and artist who helped to redefine our understanding of dinosaur anatomyDescribes placodonts, plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs, mosasaurs, sea snakes, sea turtles, marine crocs, and moreCovers everything from biology to the colorful history of sea reptile paleontologyIncludes dozens of original skeletal drawings and full-color life scenes Cover Contents Preface Acknowledgments Introduction History of Discovery and Research What Is a Mesozoic Sea Reptile? Dating Sea Reptiles The Evolution of Sea Reptiles and Their Mesozoic World Extinction After the Age of Sea Reptiles Biology General Anatomy Swimming On the Beach The Salt Problem Respiration and Circulation Feeding Apparatus and Digestive Tract Sea Reptiles as Food Senses Vocalization Diseases, Pathologies, and Injuries Behavior Brains, Nerves, and Intelligence Social Activities Reproduction Growth and Aging Energetics Gigantism Mesozoic Marine Expedition If Ancient Sea Reptiles Survived Mesozoic Marine Reptile Conservation, Keeping, and Consumption Where Fossil Sea Reptiles Are Found Using the Group and Species Descriptions Group and Species Accounts Diapsids Neodiapsids Index Mesozoic Sea Reptiles Taxa Formations