The Shortest History of the Dinosaurs: The 230-Million-Year Story of Their Time on Earth

Science writer Black (When the Earth Was Green) doles out fresh trivia on dinosaurs in this entrancing primer. She explains that such species as the Supersaurus were able to grow to over 100 feet long because air sacs in their bones enabled them to reduce their weight-to-size ratio. Surveying the creative methods paleontologists use to piece together extinct animals’ lives, Black describes how researchers determined that one T. rex was still growing at 18 years old and about to lay eggs by examining growth rings and the buildup of calcium-rich tissue in its bones; this indicated that T. rex could reproduce long before it reached full size. Black also studies evidence for social behavior in dinosaurs, contending that contrary to Jurassic Park’s depiction of velociraptor packs coordinating hunts, fossil evidence indicates prehistoric predators likely approached “food sources under uneasy truces that could easily lead to cannibalism as each dinosaur vied for a portion.” Elsewhere, she explores what dinosaurs ate, what they used their horns for, and how the discovery that some had feathers transformed scientific understanding of their behavior. The author has a knack for singling out the most surprising and engrossing findings of modern paleontology, bringing the ancient reptiles back to vivid life. The result is an excellent overview of the ever-evolving science on dinosaurs. Photos. (June)