Re: big goose book

["ashmidt" <ashmidt@flash.net>]

This sounds really good, quality, mature books on prehistoric life besides
dinosaurs are few and far between.  The only good ones I have are "Big Cats
and their Fossil Relatives" and "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of
Pterosaurs," (which unfortunitely is a bit out of date now).  Hopefully I'll
soon be able to add "Lost World of the Moa" and "King of the Crocodilians"
to that list (finally got a job).

Do you happen to know what the name of the book will be so I can watch for
it?  It's price, probable publication date?

Also how accurate can the restorations of these birds be?  Last I heard
(though these were phorasrachids (bad spelling I know)) giant birds like
these wereknown from rather fragmentary skeletons that didn't reveal their
overall proportions or what their wings were like.

To add to this is a question for you and the other list members.  Is there a
good book in existence on Plesiosaurs and/or Mosasaurs, tylosaurs?  One that
has good restorations, paleobiology speculation and species names?  "Oceans
of Kansas" is a great site but I would still like a book.

Thanks in advance.

----- Original Message -----
From: "James Farlow" <farlow@ipfw.edu>
To: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Friday, August 16, 2002 7:54 AM
Subject: big goose book


> With the current news flap about dromornithids, I thought it opportune
> to let everybody know that Peter Murray and Pat Rich have written a book
> about the anatomy, relationships, functional morphology, and
> paleobiology of dromornithids for Indiana University Press.  As editor
> of the paleo series for IUP, I have already read the first draft of the
> ms (which has gone back to the authors for final tweaking prior to going
> to press).  This will be a a fun book, and people will want it for the
> art alone--Murray and Rich have come up with some of the most beautiful
> drawings of bones, muscle reconstructions, and life restorations I have
> seen in a long time.  I think that this will become the standard
> reference for dromornithids for some time.
>
> Among other things, the authors devote considerable attention to
> possible diets of those big birds.  But I'm not going to tell you what
> they say (heh heh).  To steal a line from the good Dr. Holtz--wait till
> the publication comes out.  (And then buy it, OK?  I still have a kid to
> put through university)
>
> In the meantime, have a look at our moa book, if big feathered beasts
> are what ring your chimes...