ALEXANDRIA, VA — Do we ever lose our fascination with dinosaurs? Fantastic in shape and mythical in proportion, they capture our imagination long before we’re old enough to pronounce their names.  Those fabulous creatures of long ago have led many a child down the path of inquiry to a scientific career.

    But the truth is, the process of scientific discovery used to begin only after that child had grown old enough and knowledgeable enough to dig through the tall tales and find the real facts underneath. A new book, Dinosaurs – The Science behind the Stories, produced by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology and the Paleontological Society and published by the American Geological Institute, aims to change the way we learn about dinosaurs by helping youngsters – as well as teachers, parents, and grandparents – discover the complete world they once inhabited. This more encompassing approach to learning about dinosaurs and the times in which they lived will also help the reader understand how Earth continues to develop and change.

    Edited by Judith G. Scotchmoor, Dale A. Springer, Brent H. Breithaupt, and Anthony R. Fiorillo, Dinosaurs – The Science behind the Stories is much more than a book of dinosaur facts. In their foreword, Richard K. Stucky (President, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology), Patricia H. Kelley (President, Paleontological Society) and Steven M. Stanley (President, American Geological Institute) write that the book’s focus is “to provide the evidence for how we know what we know about the history of life on Earth, particularly dinosaurs.” In the process, readers will not only share the excitement of tracking these ancient creatures but will walk in the steps of the real-life scientists who are on their trail.

    More than two dozen prominent paleontologists contributed chapters that describe the lives of dinosaurs from their appearance in the Triassic Period about 230 million years ago to their extinction 65 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous. Other chapters relate the excitement of recent discoveries and how new technologies, such as CT scanning, are leading to new finds. Readers will also learn how today’s scientists analyze, classify, and preserve what they find. Then there’s the question of birds – are they descendants of dinosaurs or not? In the paleontological world, that’s still a topic of some debate. But, debate is essential to the scientific process. Hypotheses – even those supported by numerous lines of evidence – are not set in stone. At any moment, a new discovery may shake up years of previous analysis and supposition. That’s what makes science so exciting!

    Dinosaur legends have become so much a part of popular culture that the authors could not leave Hollywood behind. Flip to the chapters on Saturday matinees and find out how the cinematic artists employed by Disney and other film makers put back the flesh and fire on those ancient bones. Do you want some dinosaur facts? The biggest, oldest, smartest, dumbest, who laid the biggest egg – the answers are right here.

    Copies of Dinosaurs – The Science behind the Stories (ISBN 0-922152-62-4; 192 pages, 2 lbs) are available from AGI at a list price of $29.95. Members of AGI member societies receive a 20% discount. Orders may be placed through the AGI Publications Center at http://www.agiweb.org/pubs, or by mail, telephone, fax, or e-mail (American Geological Institute, Attention: Publications Center, 4220 King Street, Alexandria, VA  22302, Tel: (703) 379-2480, Fax: (703) 379-7563, E-mail: pubs@agiweb.org). Please add $8.25 for postage and handling costs for the first copy and $2.50 more per additional copy in the contiguous U.S. Orders to addresses in Maryland and Virginia are subject to the applicable sales tax. All orders must be prepaid. Please make your check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank in U.S. funds payable to the American Geological Institute. AGI also accepts VISA and MasterCard. Orders are shipped by UPS Standard Service, whenever possible, and take two to three weeks for delivery. For additional information, bulk order pricing, or costs for overseas shipping, contact the AGI Publications Department.

    The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 40 geoscientific and professional associations that represent more than 120,000 geologists, geophysicists, and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in our profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in mankind's use of resources and interaction with the environment. More information about AGI can be found at http://www.agiweb.org/. The Institute also provides a public-outreach web site, http://www.earthscienceworld.org/.
 

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