Locked in Time - BookWyrm

eBook

English language

Published April 19, 2021 by Columbia University Press.

ISBN:: 978-0-231-55208-0

(1 review)

Fossils allow us to picture the forms of life that inhabited the earth eons ago. But we long to know more: how did these animals actually behave? We are fascinated by the daily lives of our fellow creatures—how they reproduce and raise their young, how they hunt their prey or elude their predators, and more. What would it be like to see prehistoric animals as they lived and breathed? From dinosaurs fighting to their deaths to elephant-sized burrowing ground sloths, this book takes readers on a global journey deep into the earth's past. Locked in Time showcases fifty of the most astonishing fossils ever found, brought together in five fascinating chapters that offer an unprecedented glimpse at the real-life behaviors of prehistoric animals. Dean R. Lomax examines the extraordinary direct evidence of fossils captured in the midst of everyday action, such as dinosaurs sitting on their eggs like birds, Jurassic …

Fossils allow us to picture the forms of life that inhabited the earth eons ago. But we long to know more: how did these animals actually behave? We are fascinated by the daily lives of our fellow creatures—how they reproduce and raise their young, how they hunt their prey or elude their predators, and more. What would it be like to see prehistoric animals as they lived and breathed? From dinosaurs fighting to their deaths to elephant-sized burrowing ground sloths, this book takes readers on a global journey deep into the earth's past. Locked in Time showcases fifty of the most astonishing fossils ever found, brought together in five fascinating chapters that offer an unprecedented glimpse at the real-life behaviors of prehistoric animals. Dean R. Lomax examines the extraordinary direct evidence of fossils captured in the midst of everyday action, such as dinosaurs sitting on their eggs like birds, Jurassic flies preserved while mating, a T. rex infected by parasites. Each fossil, he reveals, tells a unique story about prehistoric life. Many recall behaviors typical of animals familiar to us today, evoking the chain of evolution that links all living things to their distant ancestors. Locked in Time allows us to see that fossils are not just inanimate objects: they can record the life stories of creatures as fully alive as any today. Striking and scientifically rigorous illustrations by renowned paleoartist Bob Nicholls bring these breathtaking moments to life.

1 edition

Soh Kam Yung reviewed Locked in Time by Dean R. Lomax

Fascinating book about some fascinating behaviours caught in fossils.

5 stars

A marvellous book that showcases some fascinating fossils that gives us a glimpse of how life was like for prehistoric organisms. Along with fascinating artwork by Bob Nicholls, the book gives the history of the fossil, what behaviour is captured by it, and it can tell us (or not) about how prehistoric organisms lived.

The book is organized in chapters that cover a specific behaviour shown by the fossils:

"Sex" shows us animals caught in the act of copulation, as well as sexual behaviours like 'lekking' dinosaurs. A number of pregnant animal fossils are also featured.
"Parental Care and Animal Communities" feature brooding oviraptorid dinosaurs, arthropods guarding eggs, shark nurseries and unusual communities that formed around giant clams, floating ocean logs and even inside mammoth bones.
"Moving and Making Homes" shows us fossils indicating that arthropods moult, animals migrate, and make burrows for homes.
"Fighting, Biting, and Feeding" are another …

A marvellous book that showcases some fascinating fossils that gives us a glimpse of how life was like for prehistoric organisms. Along with fascinating artwork by Bob Nicholls, the book gives the history of the fossil, what behaviour is captured by it, and it can tell us (or not) about how prehistoric organisms lived.

The book is organized in chapters that cover a specific behaviour shown by the fossils:

"Sex" shows us animals caught in the act of copulation, as well as sexual behaviours like 'lekking' dinosaurs. A number of pregnant animal fossils are also featured.
"Parental Care and Animal Communities" feature brooding oviraptorid dinosaurs, arthropods guarding eggs, shark nurseries and unusual communities that formed around giant clams, floating ocean logs and even inside mammoth bones.
"Moving and Making Homes" shows us fossils indicating that arthropods moult, animals migrate, and make burrows for homes.
"Fighting, Biting, and Feeding" are another set of behaviours captured by fossils, showing mammoths and dinosaurs in the act of fighting, with prey found in the stomach of predators showing link (or links) in the ancient food chain.
"Unusual Happenings" features unusual fossils that show that prehistoric animals also suffer from parasites, bone cancer and bone fractures. Also, that ancient animals poop and pee.