A sweeping and groundbreaking history of the age of dinosaurs, from one of our finest young scientists

The dinosaurs. 66 million years ago, the Earth’s most fearsome and spectacular creatures vanished. Today their extraordinary true story remains one of our planet’s great mysteries.

In this stunning narrative spanning more than 200 million years, Steve Brusatte, a young American paleontologist who has emerged as one of the foremost stars of the field—discovering ten new species and leading groundbreaking scientific studies and fieldwork—masterfully tells the complete, surprising, and new history of the dinosaurs, drawing on cutting-edge science to dramatically bring to life their lost world and illuminate their enigmatic origins, spectacular flourishing, astonishing diversity, cataclysmic extinction, and startling living legacy. Captivating and revelatory, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs is a book for the ages.

Brusatte traces the evolution of dinosaurs from their inauspicious start as small shadow dwellers—themselves the beneficiaries of a mass extinction caused by volcanic eruptions at the beginning of the Triassic period—into the dominant array of species every wide-eyed child memorizes today, T. rex, Triceratops, Brontosaurus, and more. This gifted scientist and writer re-creates the dinosaurs’ peak during the Jurassic and Cretaceous, when thousands of species thrived, and winged and feathered dinosaurs, the prehistoric ancestors of modern birds, emerged. The story continues to the end of the Cretaceous period, when a giant asteroid or comet struck the planet and nearly every dinosaur species (but not all) died out, in the most extraordinary extinction event in earth’s history, one full of lessons for today as we confront a “sixth extinction.”

Brusatte also recalls compelling stories from his globe-trotting expeditions during one of the most exciting eras in dinosaur research—which he calls “a new golden age of discovery”—and offers thrilling accounts of some of the remarkable findings he and his colleagues have made, including primitive human-sized tyrannosaurs; monstrous carnivores even larger than T. rex; and paradigm-shifting feathered raptors from China.

An electrifying scientific history that unearths the dinosaurs’ epic saga, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs will be a definitive and treasured account for decades to come.

The Topics in Paleobiology Series is published in collaboration with the Palaeontological Association, and is edited by Professor Mike Benton, University of Bristol.

Books in the series provide a summary of the current state of knowledge, a trusted route into the primary literature, and will act as pointers for future directions for research. As well as volumes on individual groups, the series will also deal with topics that have a cross-cutting relevance, such as the evolution of significant ecosystems, particular key times and events in the history of life, climate change, and the application of a new techniques such as molecular palaeontology.

The books are written by leading international experts and will be pitched at a level suitable for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates, and researchers in both the paleontological and biological sciences.

Los dinosaurios, como jamás te los habían contado.

Tiranosaurios primitivos del tamaño de un ser humano, monstruos carnívoros de dimensiones descomunales, misteriosos reptiles emplumados... Los dinosaurios, las criaturas más formidables de la Tierra, se desvanecieron hace ya sesenta y seis millones de años, pero siguen siendo uno de los misterios más intrigantes de todos los tiempos.

En Auge y caída de los dinosaurios, la joven estrella de la paleontología Steve Brusatte repasa la evolución de estos extraordinarios seres mientras nos hace partícipes de sus apasionantes expediciones alrededor del mundo y sus recientes descubrimientos, que ponen en entredicho todo cuanto creíamos saber sobre la evolución de los dinosaurios.

Desde los inicios del Triásico hasta su repentina y catastrófica extinción al final del Cretácico, este electrizante libro redefine la historia de un mundo perdido y desentierra los enigmáticosorígenes, la catastrófica extinción, la enorme diversidad y el apasionante legado de unas criaturas legendarias.

Apadrinado por la Scientific American, este no es otro libro más sobre criaturas extinguidos, sino la prueba definitiva de que la saga continúa.

Reseñas:
«¿Cuál es el mejor libro que he leído el año pasado? Auge y Caída de los Dinosaurios.»
Bill Clinton, Time

«Brusatte... tiene el talento natural de entretener. Sus historias de dinosaurios y las personas que los aman dan vida a la paleontología. Sabe cómo entretener y educar para que la ciencia cobre vida y quedes absorto en las historias sobre cómo el conocimiento se expande y refina. Te recomiendo encarecidamente que leas Auge y Caída de los Dinosaurios. Será entretenido y educativo a la vez.»
Newt Gingrich, FoxNews.com

«Una obra maestra de la divulgación científica.»
The Washington Post

«La biografía definitiva sobre los dinosaurios. Sencillamente fascinante.»
Scientific American

«Steve Brusatte está liderando algunas de las investigaciones más emocionantes que existen actualmente sobre los dinosaurios y nos sabe transmitir esa emoción en su libro.»
Carl Zimmer, The New York Times

«Si alguna vez has amado a los dinosaurios debes comprar este libro. [...] Brusatte hace con los dinosaurios lo que E.O. Wilson hizo con las hormigas y Carl Sagan con las estrellas.»
The Washington Times

«Una esclarecedora narración científica, extremadamente visceral, que nos permite caminar junto a estas criaturas por sus albores en el Triásico, su reinado jurásico y su repentina caída.»
Nature

«Una lectura indispensable para los apasionados de estos antiguos reptiles y su mundo perdido.»
Kirkus Reviews

«Excelente. A la escritura de Brusatte no le falta brío, vigor ni energía. Los entusiastas de los dinosaurios están de enhorabuena.»
Current Biology

«Fascinante.

Everyone knows that Tyrannosaurus rex is the huge dinosaur with sharp claws and tiny arms. But in this appealing level 2 picture book from acclaimed science writer Melissa Stewart, you’ll learn that T. rex is not the only tyrannosaur that existed in prehistoric times. 

In the last fifteen years, scientists have found many tyrannosaurs, including one with a really long pointy nose. The New York Times bestselling coauthor of this book, Dr. Steve Brusatte, went to China in order to help ID the dinosaur that he would give the nickname Pinocchio Rex!

This book is the perfect overview of the exciting new discoveries in the land of tyrannosaurs. Read and find out how tyrannosaurs evolved—from the tiny Dilong to the enormous T. rex. The book also includes an infographic, activity, and glossary, as well as “Dr. Steve Says” sidebars that give readers insight into what it felt like for Dr. Steve to be involved with the discovery of P. Rex!

This is a Level 2 Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science title, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades and supports the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.

Think you know about dinosaurs? Think again! New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Steve Brusatte brings young scientists and readers everywhere into his world of massive herbivores and fearsome predators, daily unexpected discoveries, and all the new science used to learn about some of the world’s oldest beings.

Even though the dinosaurs roamed the earth millions of years ago, we’re still piecing together new information about these ancient animals.

Did you know that, on average, a new species of dinosaur is discovered every single week? Or that many dinosaurs had feathers? Or that there are even modern-day dinosaurs walking around right now?

New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed paleontologist Steve Brusatte writes about all the new discoveries he and his colleagues have made that help us better understand—and marvel at—these remarkable reptiles.

This exciting nonfiction book for ages 7 to 12 includes a glossary, pronunciation guide, and index, as well as photos throughout. A strong choice for the classroom and for independent reading, and a great source for reports using information direct from an expert in the field.

»Die ultimative Dinosaurier Biographie« SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

Noch immer haftet den Dinosauriern das Image der schwerfälligen, primitiven Monster an, die zu groß waren, um zu überleben. Doch bevor sie von der Erdoberfläche verschwanden, beherrschten die faszinierenden Giganten über 150 Millionen Jahre lang unseren Planeten. Modernste Technologien und spektakuläre Funde erlauben nun neue Einblicke in ihre Erfolgsgeschichte.

Steve Brusatte, einer der führenden Paläontologen der Welt, führt uns anschaulich durch das untergegangene Reich der Dinosaurier. Lebendig erzählt er ihre Geschichte von den ersten Rieseneidechsen bis zum Aussterben. Dabei gibt er spannende Einblicke in seine Forschung und berichtet von spektakulären Ausgrabungen, etwa von Fleischfressern, die sogar größer waren als der Tyrannosaurus rex.

• neue Erkenntnisse über eine verlorene Welt


• von einem der renommiertesten Paläontologen der Welt


• reich bebildert und illustriert