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Spinosaur Tales
The Biology and Ecology of the Spinosaurs
Spinosaur Tales
The Biology and Ecology of the Spinosaurs
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Description
The giant sail-backed carnivorous dinosaur Spinosaurus is one of the most famous dinosaurs in the world – a staple of documentaries, books and games, and one that bested the mighty T. rex in Jurassic Park II. But what do we actually know about this crocodile-headed monster and its relatives, the spinosaurs?
Despite our growing fascination with them, there is a great deal of mystery surrounding these animals – how they lived, what they fed on, even what they looked like. What we can say for sure is that the spinosaurs include some of the strangest-looking of all dinosaurs, combining a long and low skull with a crest along the spine that extends into a huge sail, a fin-like tail, and strong, massively clawed hands. Their appearance was unlike anything else – they were truly bizarre animals.
Interpreting their lifestyle remains a stern challenge for palaeontologists, and the spinosaurs are a controversial group indeed. Their remains have been found worldwide, but they are highly fragmentary; many aspects of their appearance are uncertain, their evolutionary relationships are elusive, and there are profoundly different competing interpretations of their ecology and behaviour circulating in the scientific literature. As a result, spinosaurs have had more focus than any other dinosaur group in recent years, and new discoveries and papers continue to draw huge media attention.
There remains much that is unknown about the spinosaurs, but what we do know points them out as one of the most interesting, unusual and charismatic of all prehistoric animal groups. This book, by world-renowned palaeontologists David Hone and Mark Witton and enlivened by the latter's illustrations, summarises what's known about them and what isn't, and looks in detail at the latest theories on how these mighty beasts lived, fed, bred and died.
Product details
Published | 03 Mar 2026 |
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Format | Hardback |
Edition | 1st |
Extent | 320 |
ISBN | 9781399412469 |
Imprint | Bloomsbury Sigma |
Dimensions | 216 x 135 mm |
Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
About the contributors
Reviews
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Spinosaurus and relatives are some of the strangest flesh-eating dinosaurs and they are contenders with T. rex as scariest dinosaur. Hone and Witton provide a lovely and authoritative account of the recent rush of new specimens and news research that seeks to understand how these remarkable animals hunted and swam.
- Michael J. Benton, author Dinosaurs: New Visions of a Lost World
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An unauthorized biography of one of the most famous but elusive dinosaurs. Once an obscure species, Spinosaurus is now among the most iconic dinosaurs, although so much about it remains shrouded in mystery. If you want to encounter the real Spinosaurus, and understand what we know and don't know about it, read this book. Written by a leading paleontologist and illustrated by one of the world's premier paleoartists, Spinosaur Tales is a thoroughly researched, well crafted, and beautifully illustrated guide to the newest celebrity dinosaur.
Steve Brusatte, bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs
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The only book on spinosaurs you will ever need. A detailed, factually accurate, and up-to-date insight into the world of some of the most peculiar dinosaurs.
Dr Dean Lomax, author of The Secret Lives of Dinosaurs
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'Big , bizarre and now not so baffling - the Spinosaurs finally get real!'
'At last - the definitive Spinopaedia for Spinosuarologists everywhere!'
'Massive claws , mighty sails and very weird tails - the Spinosaurs explained!'
'Dave Hone and Mark Witton bring dinosaurs to life. Blending rigorous science with accessible ideas they put more than flesh on fossilised bones, they animate these ancient creatures, extrapolate behaviour, give them character and personality. And here they use all the evidence to reshape some of paleontologies most enigmatic yet mysterious animals - the bizarre big-finned , curly clawed Spinosaurs . After years of lost specimens , dodgy deals and ferocious scientific debate Dave and Mark bravely confront the controversies and introduce us to what we know and what it means . Its a joyous journey from the past to the present as these magnificent species rise from the pages to inhabit our prehistoric dreams!'Chris Packham