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Earth before the Dinosaurs
This beautiful volume introduces the incredible animals that populated the planet before the Age of the Dinosaurs. Readers voyage to a time, beginning about 370 million years ago, when the first four-footed vertebrates appeared, and ending 200 million years later at the moment when the dinosaurs begin their ascent. During this time, vertebrates emerge from the sea and there appears a parade of animals, each more astonishing than the last. On this expedition, we learn how paleontologists become detectives to understand the history of life and we discover that many widely held ideas about the evolution of species are completely false. Earth before the Dinosaurs is an entertaining and informative guide to an astonishing and little-known world.
200 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 29, 2023
As the name implies, the book studies Paleozoic lifeforms - specifically focusing on tetrapod evolution. There are 5 chapters: Ch 1 deals with the origin of tetrapods and the fuzziness between tetrapods, tetrapodomorphs, and various types of fishes; Ch 2 describes limb anatomy and limb development by using fossils, genetic studies, and evo-devo; Ch 3 explores the non-amniote tetrapods of the Paleozoic up to the Permo-Triassic exctinction; Ch 4 explores the non-archosaur amniotes of the Late Carboniferous and the Permian; and Ch 5 explains the methods of paleontology and how it exists as the sort of meeting-place of many branches of science.
Two things that I love about this book:
1. The entire first chapter, whose content is about the origin of tetrapods, is framed around dispelling a belief in "missing links". Not only are clades human constructs that have no hard line in the natural world, but more importantly ancient organisms are not "links" to anything. Rather, they were sophisticated creatures that should be studied in their own right, not because they supposedly lead up to something more "advanced". This is highlighted throughout the entire book, as the author demonstrates convergent evolution in a variety of traits.
2. Pictures. Every single page of this book has a map, diagram, photo, illustration, art piece, graph, or other visual to demonstrate science. This is so powerful and necessary, especially for a science like paleontology that is fundamentally based on the observation and interpretation of physical objects.
Two things that I love about this book:
1. The entire first chapter, whose content is about the origin of tetrapods, is framed around dispelling a belief in "missing links". Not only are clades human constructs that have no hard line in the natural world, but more importantly ancient organisms are not "links" to anything. Rather, they were sophisticated creatures that should be studied in their own right, not because they supposedly lead up to something more "advanced". This is highlighted throughout the entire book, as the author demonstrates convergent evolution in a variety of traits.
2. Pictures. Every single page of this book has a map, diagram, photo, illustration, art piece, graph, or other visual to demonstrate science. This is so powerful and necessary, especially for a science like paleontology that is fundamentally based on the observation and interpretation of physical objects.
August 22, 2020
Interesting, but a bit more technical than I was looking for. I was hoping for a more broad look into the subject. Interesting subjects get bogged down with technical detail and jargon. As someone who has a casual interest in the topic (and isn’t a trained paleontologist), I felt it was a little too textbook-like for my taste.
July 18, 2012
This wonderful book fills a great niche in paleontology reading. Everyone knows dinosaurs. If they don't know the word paleontology, say dinosaurs and then one can elicit a response. This book explores the major taxa starting with the fish precursors of tetrapods, then an introduction to the first tetrapods. The ancestors of all terrestrial vertebrates! From there is describes the late Paleozoic and the radiation of species from these early tetrapods. Ending with the likely sister groups of mammals, this text provides a great whose who of the pre dinosaur world. A little bit of Paleozoic plant life is mentioned, and nothing on the marine life, but that is covered extensively elsewhere. The last chapter ends on what and how paleontologists work to examine and describes fossils, ending with a praise and call for more fieldwork, which is the lifeblood of paleontology.
Earth Before the Dinosaurs is great for the seasoned paleontologist to the general enthusiast. Explore this book and take a peak at what life was like on the land before the dinosaurs showed up and stole the limelight.
Earth Before the Dinosaurs is great for the seasoned paleontologist to the general enthusiast. Explore this book and take a peak at what life was like on the land before the dinosaurs showed up and stole the limelight.
December 19, 2018
This book is really about the evolution of the tetrapods from the early Carboniferous period through to the development of the dinosaurs in the Triassic.
When discovered in the 1930's, Acanthostega and Ichthyostega were identified as early tetrapods, representing the first animals with chiridian limbs (limbs with digits). Since then many more early animals have been discovered, improving our understanding of the evolution from the fishes to the tetrapods. Notable is Tikaalik, which is very close to Acanthostega, but for possessing fins rather than digits. The animals intermediate between the fishes and the tetrapods are known as tetrapodomorphs. Examination of these animals has lead to reconsideration of what constitutes a tetrapod. The evolution from the fin to the leg is now clearer, with realization that the fin rays did not evolve into the digits of the leg and the earliest tetrapods possessed more than five digits per limb. Analysis has shown that early tetrapods such as Acanthostega and Ichthyostega did not inhabit the land - the limbs did not flex forward to allow support the body.
A short chapter investigates what is known of the development of limbs through evo-devo, again looking at polydactyly. The author points out that the development of new features like limbs can be spurred by any number of factors. Into this he throws the idea that limbs were developed so the male could hold the female during mating, as is seen today in the amphibians.
The earliest tetrapods evolved just prior to the massive extinction at the end of the Devonian. The stegocephalians (plate heads) were tetrapods that were tied to water for reproduction, having not yet fully evolved for life on land. Flat skulls composed of a mosaic of bony plates characterize these animals. The stegocephalians evolved to live on land a number of times, and some of the land forms evolved to return to a marine existence. The author reviews a number of interesting species.
The amniotic egg allowed animals to live on land without returning to water for reproduction. The amniotes arose during the late Carboniferous from a group of stegocephalians termed the reptiliomorphs. The author examines a few species that may be close fore-runners to the amniotes, including Diadectes which is the first known herbivorous tetrapod. The oldest amniote fossil is Hylonomus lyelli, found by William Dawson at the Joggins, Nova Scotia site. Even during the Permian, some amniotes such as the mesosaurs returned to the water. At the same time, some amniotes developed the ability to walk on their hind legs and may have been arboreal.
Two clades of the amniotes developed during the Permian - the sauropsids, leading to the reptiles, dinosaurs and birds, and the synapsids, leading to the mammals. The former were mostly smaller animals while the later included some relatively large carnivores and herbivores. The Permian-Triassic extinction took out the large synapsids and allowed the sauropsids proliferated. These turn-overs have been found to occur through evolutionary radiation producing species which are able to then fill the niches that are opened up by the extinctions, as opposed to extinction then radiation. The sauropsids included pterosaurs, therapod-like rauisuchians and the early dinosaurs.
The book ends with a discussion of modern palaeontological methods. Throughout the book, Steyer provides interesting reflections on evolution such as when he rails against the idea of the missing link, as it suggests directed evolution. When discussing polydactyly, he suggest that it would be inconvenient to have as many as fifteen digits on a hand, "except, perhaps, when playing the piano."
When discovered in the 1930's, Acanthostega and Ichthyostega were identified as early tetrapods, representing the first animals with chiridian limbs (limbs with digits). Since then many more early animals have been discovered, improving our understanding of the evolution from the fishes to the tetrapods. Notable is Tikaalik, which is very close to Acanthostega, but for possessing fins rather than digits. The animals intermediate between the fishes and the tetrapods are known as tetrapodomorphs. Examination of these animals has lead to reconsideration of what constitutes a tetrapod. The evolution from the fin to the leg is now clearer, with realization that the fin rays did not evolve into the digits of the leg and the earliest tetrapods possessed more than five digits per limb. Analysis has shown that early tetrapods such as Acanthostega and Ichthyostega did not inhabit the land - the limbs did not flex forward to allow support the body.
A short chapter investigates what is known of the development of limbs through evo-devo, again looking at polydactyly. The author points out that the development of new features like limbs can be spurred by any number of factors. Into this he throws the idea that limbs were developed so the male could hold the female during mating, as is seen today in the amphibians.
The earliest tetrapods evolved just prior to the massive extinction at the end of the Devonian. The stegocephalians (plate heads) were tetrapods that were tied to water for reproduction, having not yet fully evolved for life on land. Flat skulls composed of a mosaic of bony plates characterize these animals. The stegocephalians evolved to live on land a number of times, and some of the land forms evolved to return to a marine existence. The author reviews a number of interesting species.
The amniotic egg allowed animals to live on land without returning to water for reproduction. The amniotes arose during the late Carboniferous from a group of stegocephalians termed the reptiliomorphs. The author examines a few species that may be close fore-runners to the amniotes, including Diadectes which is the first known herbivorous tetrapod. The oldest amniote fossil is Hylonomus lyelli, found by William Dawson at the Joggins, Nova Scotia site. Even during the Permian, some amniotes such as the mesosaurs returned to the water. At the same time, some amniotes developed the ability to walk on their hind legs and may have been arboreal.
Two clades of the amniotes developed during the Permian - the sauropsids, leading to the reptiles, dinosaurs and birds, and the synapsids, leading to the mammals. The former were mostly smaller animals while the later included some relatively large carnivores and herbivores. The Permian-Triassic extinction took out the large synapsids and allowed the sauropsids proliferated. These turn-overs have been found to occur through evolutionary radiation producing species which are able to then fill the niches that are opened up by the extinctions, as opposed to extinction then radiation. The sauropsids included pterosaurs, therapod-like rauisuchians and the early dinosaurs.
The book ends with a discussion of modern palaeontological methods. Throughout the book, Steyer provides interesting reflections on evolution such as when he rails against the idea of the missing link, as it suggests directed evolution. When discussing polydactyly, he suggest that it would be inconvenient to have as many as fifteen digits on a hand, "except, perhaps, when playing the piano."
February 8, 2019
Jedna z kníh, ktorá človeku pripomenie, že o živote na Zemi nevie prakticky nič... a čím viac vie, tým viac si uvedomuje, ako málo toho vie :)
Názov "Zem pred Dinosaurami" je trošku zavádzajúci, pretože na to je knižka príliš útla... a vďaka jej za to :D Teda som zástanca toho, že radšej budem mať 10 kníh, ktoré sa čiastkovo budú venovať nejakej forme života, ako to mať zhrnuté len v jednej 1.000 stranovej knihe. Konkrétne táto sa zaoberá nástupom tetrapodov na scénu života a teda nás vrhne do obdobia, kde oceán je už plný života a kniha začína v čase, kedy prvé tetrapody (pred 392 až 360 m) vyliezajú z vody hľadajúc ochranu, či potravu. Prejdeme sa svetom Stegocefalianov, teda tetrapodov, ktoré sa udomácnili na súši a aj Lissamfibianov (predchodcov obojživelníkov). V čase asi pred 300m sa objavujú prvé Temnospondyly (známych je 500 druhov a prežívali ešte aj v čase Kriedy o 200m rokov neskôr) a najväčší priestor knihy je vlastne venovaný obdobiu Permu (298-251m) kedy sa popri Temnospondyloch objavujú už aj prvé Amnioty (teda sauropsidy, kde patria aj plazy a synapsidy, kde patria cicavce). Tie sa ďalej delia na pelycosaury, či dicynodonty a tiež Avicefalia, kde sa človek už trošku začína strácať :) No po gigantickom vymieraní na prelome Permu a Triasu sa kniha zaoberá preživšími, kde synapsidy ako aj sauropsidy nadobúdajú v druhej polovici Triasu (225-201m) nové formy tzv. archosauromorfné a teda formy prvých dinosaurov, pterosaurov a lepidosaurov (jašteríc a hadov) a popri nich aj aetosaurov, phytosaurov, či rauisuchov, ktoré z veľkej časti vymrú na prelome Triasu a Jury cca pred 200m rokmi.
Ako som písal, knižka je útla, no na informácie bohatá a je zorganizovaná tak, aby sa v nej čitateľ nestratil hneď po prvom rozdelení čeľadí, či rodov. Kniha však nie je komplikovaná, nepoužíva príliš ťažký, vedecký jazyk a zaoberá sa čisto len týmto "malým" výsekom evolúcie života. Ak niekoho táto téma zaujíma, odporúčam po nej siahnuť ;)
Názov "Zem pred Dinosaurami" je trošku zavádzajúci, pretože na to je knižka príliš útla... a vďaka jej za to :D Teda som zástanca toho, že radšej budem mať 10 kníh, ktoré sa čiastkovo budú venovať nejakej forme života, ako to mať zhrnuté len v jednej 1.000 stranovej knihe. Konkrétne táto sa zaoberá nástupom tetrapodov na scénu života a teda nás vrhne do obdobia, kde oceán je už plný života a kniha začína v čase, kedy prvé tetrapody (pred 392 až 360 m) vyliezajú z vody hľadajúc ochranu, či potravu. Prejdeme sa svetom Stegocefalianov, teda tetrapodov, ktoré sa udomácnili na súši a aj Lissamfibianov (predchodcov obojživelníkov). V čase asi pred 300m sa objavujú prvé Temnospondyly (známych je 500 druhov a prežívali ešte aj v čase Kriedy o 200m rokov neskôr) a najväčší priestor knihy je vlastne venovaný obdobiu Permu (298-251m) kedy sa popri Temnospondyloch objavujú už aj prvé Amnioty (teda sauropsidy, kde patria aj plazy a synapsidy, kde patria cicavce). Tie sa ďalej delia na pelycosaury, či dicynodonty a tiež Avicefalia, kde sa človek už trošku začína strácať :) No po gigantickom vymieraní na prelome Permu a Triasu sa kniha zaoberá preživšími, kde synapsidy ako aj sauropsidy nadobúdajú v druhej polovici Triasu (225-201m) nové formy tzv. archosauromorfné a teda formy prvých dinosaurov, pterosaurov a lepidosaurov (jašteríc a hadov) a popri nich aj aetosaurov, phytosaurov, či rauisuchov, ktoré z veľkej časti vymrú na prelome Triasu a Jury cca pred 200m rokmi.
Ako som písal, knižka je útla, no na informácie bohatá a je zorganizovaná tak, aby sa v nej čitateľ nestratil hneď po prvom rozdelení čeľadí, či rodov. Kniha však nie je komplikovaná, nepoužíva príliš ťažký, vedecký jazyk a zaoberá sa čisto len týmto "malým" výsekom evolúcie života. Ak niekoho táto téma zaujíma, odporúčam po nej siahnuť ;)
July 25, 2017
Quite a technical book that assumes the reader has a fair amount of prior knowledge before sinking into it, though there are also many parts that are easy to understand and process. Would have done much better with a more comprehensive prologue/explanatory section. Even for a layman like me though, I found this fairly interesting, thanks to the plentiful illustrations and sometimes photos.
The book documents numerous fossil finds and how these evidence the existence of the creatures they go on to talk about. Each of these creatures is shown to us via an illustration (artist's impression), sometimes with accompanying photos of the actual found fossils or their replicas. The book explains how modern computer technology makes it possible to recreate with an extremely high degree of accuracy what these beasts would actually have looked like. There are field photos of scientists out on fossil-finding expeditions, and sometimes photos of complete specimens which have been found, that are truly impressive. It is explained how and why scientists arrived at the conclusions they did about each of the creatures showcased. We learn not only what these animals looked like, but also what they ate and probably did, and their hierarchy in the ecological system back then.
It's a fascinating book to pick up if you want to learn more about some of the lifeforms that inhabited early Earth, fossil finds, and how scientists arrive at the conclusions they do regarding these creatures.
The book documents numerous fossil finds and how these evidence the existence of the creatures they go on to talk about. Each of these creatures is shown to us via an illustration (artist's impression), sometimes with accompanying photos of the actual found fossils or their replicas. The book explains how modern computer technology makes it possible to recreate with an extremely high degree of accuracy what these beasts would actually have looked like. There are field photos of scientists out on fossil-finding expeditions, and sometimes photos of complete specimens which have been found, that are truly impressive. It is explained how and why scientists arrived at the conclusions they did about each of the creatures showcased. We learn not only what these animals looked like, but also what they ate and probably did, and their hierarchy in the ecological system back then.
It's a fascinating book to pick up if you want to learn more about some of the lifeforms that inhabited early Earth, fossil finds, and how scientists arrive at the conclusions they do regarding these creatures.
August 5, 2019
Uitermate boeiend en leesbaar boek over de evolutie van de allereerste tetrapoda. Van de befaamde Acanthostega en Ichtyostega, tot de mysterieuze Tiktaalik en de eerste vliegende dieren. Het is één van de betere boeken die ik heb gelezen de voorbije periode, omdat het zo duidelijk, gestructureerd en vlot toegankelijk is. Iedere nieuwe stap in de evolutie wordt duidelijk gemaakt aan de hand van een dier dat die nieuwe kenmerken heeft. Bovendien biedt de schrijver hier een interessante gedachtegang aan: namelijk het gen dat verantwoordelijk is voor de groei van poten is ook verantwoordelijk voor de aanpassingen in het endo-urinaal stelsel. Wat als dat gen eigenlijk bedoeld was om een aanpassing te maken aan de ingewanden en dat de potsen (om mee te lopen) eigenlijk een zij-effect zijn?
DE verovering van het land bestaat niet. De evolutie om te kunnen overleven op land heeft zich verschillende keren voorgedaan, net zoals veel dieren ook zijn teruggekeerd naar het water.
Het boek is echt een aanrader voor iedereen die geïnteresseerd is in evolutie.
DE verovering van het land bestaat niet. De evolutie om te kunnen overleven op land heeft zich verschillende keren voorgedaan, net zoals veel dieren ook zijn teruggekeerd naar het water.
Het boek is echt een aanrader voor iedereen die geïnteresseerd is in evolutie.
May 31, 2021
This is an examination on the fauna before the rise of dinosaurs, explaining in very technical detail and with wonderful illustration how the first tetrapods came to be. There’s an incredible lot of information packed in this somewhat short book and it can get veeeery technical with an enormous amount of scientific terms to keep up with, but even without any more knowledge in Biology than my good old high school education it was not impossible to keep up with.
The way the information is portrayed is so organized, with pictures of fossils, sketches of skeletons and drawings reimagining these environments that a read which could be very heavy turns out to be quite delightful.
The way the information is portrayed is so organized, with pictures of fossils, sketches of skeletons and drawings reimagining these environments that a read which could be very heavy turns out to be quite delightful.
March 13, 2022
Il faut un minimum de savoir scientifique (ce qui n'est pas mon cas) des fois aucun mot m'était familier dans un seul phrases, je dirais qu'il faudrait aussi commencer à raccourcir le nom des espèces éteintes, surtout lors de cette période juste impossible de tout retenir surtout vu leur diversité. Par contre ca fait rêver, on apprend une tonne de choses et on a envie de découvrir. Très belles photos, des schémas explicatifs sont là ce qui rend la lecture moins compliquée. Pour tout ceux qui sont intéressés par les espèces surtout celle qui ont peuplé les terres avant même les dinosaures, ce livre est pour vous.
September 15, 2019
Dealing with the time from about 370 to 170 million years ago this book covers how fish developed into the first land vertebrates, how amphibians developed and eventually how other animals evolved right up to the time of the first dinosaurs. I found the first third more interesting than the rest of the book, but none the less I enjoyed reading this and would recommend it. Not quite a text book, but a bit more than a popular read: think Scientific American. Perhaps accessible to a bright teenager who wants more than the flashy dinosaur encyclopaedia.
January 2, 2021
I really liked this book. I was a little nervous about it being translated, but aside from percent signs I didn’t see anything weird. The author says up front he doesn’t intend to cover everything the title could encapsulate and that is for the best. I’ve read those exhaustive catalogues and they are boring. Plus there’s a lengthy paragraph comparing a certain fossil to One Ring that is just awesome!
May 1, 2022
Very good *overview* of Devonian thru early Triassic animal life. It is a somewhat brief book, thus the vast time period (about 150 million years) that is covered will give it a sense of being unfocused. If I had to identify the focus, it would be exploring, in a relaxed way, the various evolutionary paths of the tetrapods after the land invasion, namely the sauropsids and synapsids. Generously illustrated with full color paleoart and fossils.
October 17, 2019
C'est évidemment pointu, mais Steyer sait rendre cela passionnant et le vertige des abîmes du temps nous saisit une fois encore.
September 12, 2023
3/5 stars.
L'attachement de Steyer à la taxonomie et la rigueur scientifique de l'ouvrage compensent sa vision datée de la discipline.
PS : Le point d'exclamation ne rend pas un statement excitant !
L'attachement de Steyer à la taxonomie et la rigueur scientifique de l'ouvrage compensent sa vision datée de la discipline.
PS : Le point d'exclamation ne rend pas un statement excitant !
February 22, 2017
Dissapointed. The chapters were uneven--much more focus on early sarcopterygians than later tetrapods. The final section was a blow through. In addition, some of the science was just wrong!
December 23, 2013
To be honest I was disappointed. If you're expecting a popular broad sweeping coverage of pre-dinosaur life (like i was) you are also going to be disappointed.
It's a pretty technical book that deals almost exclusively with one family of animals (tetrapods) and does assume a fair bit of prior knowledge.
There is some interesting stuff in here and the illustrations are first class, but it's too involved for the lay reader. If you know your Lissamphibians from your Lepospondyls however it's probably great.
It's a pretty technical book that deals almost exclusively with one family of animals (tetrapods) and does assume a fair bit of prior knowledge.
There is some interesting stuff in here and the illustrations are first class, but it's too involved for the lay reader. If you know your Lissamphibians from your Lepospondyls however it's probably great.
February 2, 2016
Informative book that takes a very broad look at mainly the Carboniferous and Permian tetrapods. It never gets too in depth but accomplishes what it sets out to do. Steyer also stays away from authoritative opinions and presents the subject as an ongoing debate. This is a stance that paleontology in general could use more of.
March 27, 2017
This book would be better with a layman's glossary, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews