Re: Furthering Self Study

["Grant Harding" <granth@cyberus.ca>]

Larry Febo wrote:
>Greg...,(or anyone else that has a need for an "intermediate level" course
>of study in dinosaurs),... get a hold of "Dinosaurs the Textbook" by
Spencer
>G Lucas. It covers the basics of what defines dinosaurs pretty well, and is
>not hard to follow if you have a basic biology background.  Can be
purchased
>used, check an internet booksearch.

Even better is _The Evolution and Extinction of the Dinosaurs_ by the two
Daves (Fastovsky and Weishampel).  It too is a textbook, and I don't think
it's too hard to comprehend - about the same level as the one Larry
mentioned.  The great thing about _Evolution & Extinction_ is that as well
as being very up-to-date, it also goes a lot into cladistics, and explains
how the whole method works.  Lucas' has several antiquated concepts,
including that of tyrannosaurs being carnosaurs.

BTW, an updated version of Lucas' book has been published (1997? Don't quote
me on that!), but I haven't seen it.  I have the old one, tho.

>As for pygostyles and furculae, we`re talking the Theropod-Bird connection
>here. Check out "Taking Wing" by Pat Shipman,

Or _The Mistaken Extinction_ by Lowell Dingus and Timothy Rowe.  Might be a
bit advanced (I'm not good at judging these things), but it talks all about
dinosaur "extinction", cladistics, and the rise of birds.

>or for a more controversial
>viewpoint, get a copy of "Mesozoic Meanderings" by DinoGeorge. (I`m still
>looking myself for the "third edition"....hint ;^)

When is that gonna be published, George?

-Grant

--
Grant Harding
High school student/amateur paleontologist
granth@cyberus.ca
Visit Grant Harding's Dinosaur Destination at
http://www.cyberus.ca/~sharding/grant/
"...I suspect he actually has a subspecies of _Stenonychosaurus_, though I
haven't decided for sure...small Triassic carnivore--two meters from pes to
acetabulum. In point of fact, a rather ordinary theropod..." -from
Crichton's _The Lost World_