For 65 million years dinosaurs ruled the Earth - until a deadly asteroid forced their extinction.

But what accounts for the incredible longevity of dinosaurs? A renowned scientist now provides a startling explanation that is rewriting the history of the Age of Dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs are pretty amazing creatures.

Real life monsters that have the power to fascinate us.

And they're fiery Hollywood ending only serves to make their story that much more dramatic.

But fossil evidence demonstrates that dinosaurs survived several mass extinctions, seemingly unaffected by catastrophes that decimated most other life on Earth.

What could explain their uncanny ability to endure through the ages? Biologist and earth scientist Peter Ward now accounts for the remarkable indestructibility of dinosaurs by connecting their unusual respiration system with their ability to adapt to Earth's changing environment - a system that was ultimately bequeathed to their descendants, birds.

For more information about the title Out of Thin Air: Dinosaurs, Birds, And Earth's Ancient Atmosphere, read the full description at Amazon.com, or see the following related books:

Under a Green Sky: Global Warming, the Mass Extinctions of the Past, and What They Can Tell Us About Our Future — University of Washington paleontologist Peter D. Ward demonstrates in UNDER A GREEN SKY that the ancient past is not just of academic concern. ...  > read more

After the Dinosaurs: The Age of Mammals (Life of the Past) — Perhaps nudged over the evolutionary cliff by a giant boloid striking the earth, the incredible and fascinating group of animals called dinosaurs ...  > read more

Glorified Dinosaurs: The Origin and Early Evolution of Birds — The last few years have witnessed an unparalleled rate of discoveries of early birds and their dinosaurian predecessors. Written by a recognised ...  > read more

Catastrophes and Lesser Calamities: The Causes of Mass Extinctions — This is a book about the dramatic periods in the Earth's history called mass extinctions - short periods (by geological standards) when life nearly ...  > read more

Author: Peter Douglas Ward

Publisher: Joseph Henry Press

Date: Oct. 30, 2006

List Price:

$27.95

Discount Price:

$11.54

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