The Princeton Field Guide to Pterosaurs

by Gregory S Paul

The most up-to-date and authoritative illustrated guide to the marvelous flying reptiles that dominated the skies of the Mesozoic for 160 million years

Once seen by some as evolutionary dead-enders, pterosaurs were vigorous winged reptiles capable of thriving in an array of habitats and climates, including polar winters. The Princeton Field Guide to Pterosaurs transforms our understanding of these great Mesozoic archosaurs of the air. This incredible guide covers 115 pterosaur species and features stunning illustrations of pterosaurs ranging in size from swallows to small sailplanes, some with enormous, bizarre head crests and elongated beaks. It discusses the history of pterosaurs through 160 million years of the Mesozoic―including their anatomy, physiology, locomotion, reproduction, growth, and extinction―and even gives a taste of what it might be like to travel back to the Mesozoic. This one-of-a-kind guide also challenges the common image of big pterosaurs as ultralights that only soared, showing how these spectacular creatures could be powerful flappers as heavy as bears.

Genres: Palaeontology, Science, Nonfiction

184 pages, Hardcover

Published June 7, 2022

Reviews

[Brendan McKee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the definition of extensive, with virtually every pterosaur present in here and so for that alone it gets high marks. I should note this book is technical too, so not really for children. There is some good art in here too, but not every pterosaur gets an illustration. Moreover, there are often only rough notes about a pterosaur and occasionally I would want more. Still, one of the better books out there!

[Brandy Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot more about planes than I ever expected
There are some very dubious metric to imperial conversions here
Otherwise a lovely book with a good index and a good beginners guide

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great info on pterosaurs. Very in depth and technical, with great art.

If I had any complaints, I would say some diagrams are kinda confusing and I don’t think the book is “pro” pterosaurs enough (if that that makes sense).

[Miroslav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parádna knižka z dielne Princetonu zaoberajúca sa pterosaurami. Pterosaury sú pravdepodobne najširšou skupinou archosaurov žijúcich v tieni známejších, no druhovo oveľa menej rozmanitých, dinosaurov. Kniha je jednou z mála smelých počinov, ktoré otvorene priznávajú, že kým dinosaurom sa veda venuje 150 rokov a intenzívne asi posledných 30 rokov, pterosaurami sa intenzívnejšie veda zaoberá sotva dve desaťročia. Značnému deficitu poznatkov zodpovedá aj "guláš" v zaradzovaní druhov a rodov a práve o toto sa kniha pokúša. To málo, čo o pterosauroch vieme (momentálne asi 110 validných druhov a ďalšie desiatky dubious), zaradzuje, porovnáva a opisuje. Zároveň nás ubezpečuje, že momentálne poznáme len 1% tejto skupiny živočíchov a nasledujúce storočie bude eldorádom objavov

[Travis Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly what a field guide should be. Unreadable but lookable; half technical text, half pictures. But for those 1.5 pages on hypothetical scenarios—“Pterosaur Safari” (what if we went back to Pterosaur times?) and “If Pterosaurs Survived”—I’d gladly read twice as much as I had to on the minutiae of theoretical Pterosaur aerodynamics, digestion, and ambulatory capabilities.

[The Inquisitive Biologist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fodder for the palaeo-enthusiast, The Princeton Field Guide to Pterosaurs is a data-dense book that is illustrated with outstanding skeletal reconstructions. Read my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2022...

[Richard Archambault · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about pterosaurs. My only complaint: the small font and very tight line-spacing in the first half of the book made reading it a chore.