The Horned Dinosaurs

by Peter Dodson

The horned dinosaurs, a group of rhinoceros-like creatures that lived 100 to 65 million years ago, included one of the greatest and most popular dinosaurs studied Triceratops . Noted for his flamboyant appearance--marked by a striking array of horns over the nose and eyes, a long bony frill at the back of the head, and an assortment of lumps and bumps for attracting females--this herbivore displayed remarkable strength in its ability to fight off Tyrannosaurus rex . It was also among the last dinosaurs to walk the earth. In telling us about Triceratops and its relatives, the Ceratopsia, Peter Dodson here re-creates the sense of adventure enjoyed by so many scientists who have studied them since their discovery in the mid-nineteenth century. From the badlands of the Red Deer River in Alberta to the Gobi Desert, Dodson pieces together fossil evidence to describe the ceratopsians themselves--their anatomy, biology, and geography--and he evokes the human dimension of their discovery and interpretation. An authoritative survey filled with many original illustrations, this book is the first comprehensive presentation of horned dinosaurs for the general reader. Dodson explains first the fascinating ways in which the ceratopsians dealt with their dangerous environment. There follows a lesson on ceratopsian bone structure, which enables the reader quickly to grasp the questions that still puzzle scientists, concerning features such as posture, gait, footprints, and diet. Dodson evenhandedly discusses controversies that continue, for example, over sexual dimorphism and the causes of the dinosaurs' disappearance. Throughout his narrative, we are reminded that dinosaur study is a human enterprise. We meet the scientists who charmed New York high society into financing expeditions to Mongolia, home of Triceratops' predecessors, as well as those who used their poker winnings to sustain paleontology expeditions. Rich in fossil lore and in tales of adventure, the world of the Ceratopsia is presented here for specialists and general readers alike.

Originally published in 1996.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Genres: Palaeontology, Dinosaurs, Science, Nonfiction, Biology

360 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 1996

Reviews

[Daniel Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

To its credit, it is a great book in terms of writing, pacing, and introducing the reader to vertebrate paelontology and even bones and skeletal stuctures. The author is also magnificent at integrating both the "pure" science and the human history of science and the scientists involved. The only problem is age - the book was published in 1996, and I think a lot of the science is out-of-date, to say the least.

As an example, in Chapter 3 there is a discussion about how many species of Triceratops there really are. The author presents several different viewpoints, both historically and then-contemporary, and strongly leans towards the position that T. horridus was the only true species, and that other variants are just abnormal or due to sexual dimorphism. He mentions that his former grad student, Cathy Forster, proposed that T. horridus and T. porosus were actually different enough to be unique species, and while supportive of her work he clearly encourages the reader to believe the sexual dimorphism model.

However, since 1996 Cathy Forster's view has become increasingly accepted and supported not only by morphology and cladistics, but also by the fact that the two proposed species are stratigraphically separate in the Hell Creek Formation - implying that they did not live at the same time. If the reader only relied on this book, they would come away with an accurate snapshot of the debates within ceratopsian paleontology from 1996, but not with any of the research in over 20 years since.

Even Princeton acknowledges its age - the book is part of the "Princeton Legacy Library"!

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extremely thorough examination of the science of ceratopsian (horned) dinosaurs current in the early 1990s. While some of the information may have been become a little dated, it is a nice overview of the known genera and species and an interesting journey through the scientific history. There is a lot of technical detail, which can be overwhelming at times. However, for the general reader like me, the numerous illustrations and absolutely glorious color plates more than compensate. Like many stories of paleontology, a few themes run through the book. First is the fragmented and usually incomplete nature of the fossil evidence. The second is the tendency of early paleontologists to manically "split" the taxology: each new specimen somehow counts as a new species or even a new genus. There are a plethora abandoned names to illustrate this. Third is the slow acceptance that variation in specimens represented sexual dimorphism or just individual variety. Finally is the challenge of determining the evolutionary relationships between dinosaur groups. Dodson also touches upon the "Bone Wars" of the late 1800s which led to some scientific arguments becoming personal rivalries over and about the evidence.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorough (for its time--1996) and very readable. Covers all the ceratopsids--triceratops and kin. It might be a bit academic for casual dinosaur fans. Chapter Two is especially notable as a guide to ceratopsid skeletal anatomy. Defines in a useful and easy-to-follow bone-by-bone description of all the bones of a chasmosaurus, the identification and functionality of which will apply to almost all vertebrates and dinosaurs in particular. In addition to discoveries by famous paleontologists like Barnum Brown, John Bell Hatcher, Roy Chapman Andrews, Cope, and Marsh, the author gives credit to a number of unheralded non-DWEM (Dead White English-speaking Men) Polish and Chinese scientists. One downside for American readers is that all measurements cited are metric, and a few more illustrations might have brightened things up. Although triceratops is the star, a kids' favorite, it's a little dry for a young audience.

[Leelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half way through. Finished the section on the ceratopsians. About to start the protoceratopsians.

The book is a detailed history about the discovery of ceratopsian fossils so far. (Did you know that only one complete skull has ever been found for Styracosaurus? I didn't.) As you might expect, it is a bit dry. Skimming the chapter headings I see that there is speculation on ceratopsian life cycles at the end of the book.

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Finished this afternoon. Good book but really only for the die hard dinosaur geek. Very dry discussions of bones and fossils. Dodson does inject a bit of humor into the text now and then. And you can tell this is a very personal story for him, he did discover and name one species of ceratopsian, Avaceratops. He does let the air out of some misconceptions about my favorite dinosaurs like they weren't able to charge like rhinos because of the way their chests, forelegs and shoulder blades were built. But they may have been able to move at a fast walk like elephants though. So, finally< I still agree with him, ceratopsians were the absolute coolest dinosaurs to ever live!

[Peter Tillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Triceratops and family, as related by Penn paleontologist Peter Dodson, who is a clear and engaging writer. Have a look at the cover-scan blowup -- a preview of Wayne Barlowe's wonderful color plates. I bogged down in the anatomy lessons -- the occipital condyle dimensions seem important, but MEGO. The interior art is very nice. And I really like such tidbits as learning that William Buckland, who wrote the first formal dinosaur fossil-description in 1824, kept a pet bear in his house at Oxford.

So there may be more here about old horned-face than you want to know, but you owe it to yourself, at least, to look at the wonderful Barlowe plates and read about the fieldwork. For me, the highlights of dino-books are the color plates, and Wayne Barlowe is one of the great paleoartists.

More Barlowe paleoart: https://waynebarlowe.wordpress.com/ar...

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book focused solely on the ceratopsians -- horned dinosaurs like triceratops. Dodson's writing style is informal, but very accurate and complete. The book is also very well illustrated.

He covers the personalities of the fossil hunters who discovered the first remains of the ceratopsians right up to the most modern (as of the mid 90s) paleontologists. The book does go into some deep detail, especially when arguing whether some fossils represent different genera or merely individual variation withing a single species. It's helpful to be at least a little familiar with the bones of the ceratopsian skull.

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic work on the horned dinosaurs, as an amateur I learned a great deal and never felt overwhelemed. Brilliantly combines science, logic and history to make a very compelling read I only wish there was one for each major dinosaur group.

[R Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best work regarding Ceratopsia in print!