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Ancient Sea Reptiles: Plesiosaurs, Ichthyosaurs, Mosasaurs, and More
Dive into prehistoric waters and discover extraordinary sea monsters who reigned the ocean for 150 million years
Ancient Sea Plesiosaurs, Ichthyosaurs, Mosasaurs, and More examines the anatomy, behavior, diversity, lifestyle, and evolutionary rise of creatures who conquered the seas for 150 million years during the Mesozoic era. Expert paleontologist Darren Naish puts these fearsome and mighty creatures under the microscope and transports readers to wild and primeval waters. In this gorgeously illustrated book, amazing creatures leap off the page,
Ancient Sea Reptiles features fossil photography and artistic reconstructions of ancient creatures, from evolutionary anomalies to apex predators who survived extinction events, with chapters that
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Evolution
Chapter 3: Anatomy
Chapter 4: The lesser-known mesosaurs, Triassicsauropterygians, Cretaceous sea snakes and more
Chapter 5: Shark-shaped the ichthyosaurs and their kin
Chapter 6: Long necks, big the plesiosaurs
Chapter 7: Sea the thalattosuchians
Chapter 8: the great sea lizards
Chapter 9: Sea Turtles
More than 80 percent of the world’s vast ocean is unmapped and unobserved, prompting the imagination to run wild on what might lurk in its depths. But Ancient Sea Reptiles proves that what stirs the imagination even more are the spectacular prehistoric creatures that have already been discovered. The book is a feast for the eyes and the scientific mind.
Ancient Sea Plesiosaurs, Ichthyosaurs, Mosasaurs, and More examines the anatomy, behavior, diversity, lifestyle, and evolutionary rise of creatures who conquered the seas for 150 million years during the Mesozoic era. Expert paleontologist Darren Naish puts these fearsome and mighty creatures under the microscope and transports readers to wild and primeval waters. In this gorgeously illustrated book, amazing creatures leap off the page,
Ancient Sea Reptiles features fossil photography and artistic reconstructions of ancient creatures, from evolutionary anomalies to apex predators who survived extinction events, with chapters that
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Evolution
Chapter 3: Anatomy
Chapter 4: The lesser-known mesosaurs, Triassicsauropterygians, Cretaceous sea snakes and more
Chapter 5: Shark-shaped the ichthyosaurs and their kin
Chapter 6: Long necks, big the plesiosaurs
Chapter 7: Sea the thalattosuchians
Chapter 8: the great sea lizards
Chapter 9: Sea Turtles
More than 80 percent of the world’s vast ocean is unmapped and unobserved, prompting the imagination to run wild on what might lurk in its depths. But Ancient Sea Reptiles proves that what stirs the imagination even more are the spectacular prehistoric creatures that have already been discovered. The book is a feast for the eyes and the scientific mind.
192 pages, Hardcover
Published February 28, 2023
15 people are currently reading
445 people want to read
About the author
Darren Naish
66 books51 followersDarren Naish is a British vertebrate palaeontologist and science writer. He obtained a geology degree at the University of Southampton and later studied vertebrate palaeontology under British palaeontologist David Martill at the University of Portsmouth, where he obtained both an M. Phil. and PhD.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 27, 2023
Pros:
- Outstanding cladograms
- Variety of paleoart to illustrate lifeforms
- Clear explanations of evolutionary history and current taxonomy
- Broad coverage of specimens from around the world
Cons:
- Not enough maps. Especially when describing distribution of fossil sites, inferred ranges, and how paleogeography shaped distribution, the chapters should have included maps rather than sticking about 3 general maps in just the very first chapter.
- No bibliography and no citations. This is utterly egregious. There is just a tiny further reading section that has 8 books, most of which are over 30 years old and one of which is a picture book.
Overall I give this a 3/5. This is a pretty good book, but has the massive flaw that it provides no citations or jumping points for further research.
- Outstanding cladograms
- Variety of paleoart to illustrate lifeforms
- Clear explanations of evolutionary history and current taxonomy
- Broad coverage of specimens from around the world
Cons:
- Not enough maps. Especially when describing distribution of fossil sites, inferred ranges, and how paleogeography shaped distribution, the chapters should have included maps rather than sticking about 3 general maps in just the very first chapter.
- No bibliography and no citations. This is utterly egregious. There is just a tiny further reading section that has 8 books, most of which are over 30 years old and one of which is a picture book.
Overall I give this a 3/5. This is a pretty good book, but has the massive flaw that it provides no citations or jumping points for further research.
December 6, 2023
No le doy 5 estrellas porque no tiene fuentes ni bibliografía y eso es imperdonable para un libro de ciencia 🥲
September 18, 2025
On the one hand a very interesting and beautifully illustrated book, poor editorial choices on the other hand.
Naish presents in an easily understandable form the evolution and physiology of the mesozoic sea reptiles, without dumbing instead by explaining the terminology diligently. Furthermore, he introduces major research controversies and often provides alternative cladistics for the respective groups. When it comes to the reconstructions reasons for he choices made are given.
He does not focus on the big three (ichtyosaurs, plesiosurs and mosasaurs) but introduces minor groups as well, including the only one which has survived the KT-extinction event and even one present decendent: the leatherback turtles. In the beginning he introduces the geological and climatic changes influencing the evolution of marine reptiles, and he deals with the general research history, which is supplemented with details concerning the specific groups in the respective chapters.
But: Although research controversies are mentioned in the text, the book contains no bibliography only a very short "further reading" list with partially quite old book. Only in a few instances the caption accompanying photographies of fossils indicate where the respective pieces can be found, and if that is the case it is usually the city not the institution. Moreover maps showing the places where important fossils have been found would have been useful. I think that justifies going one star down.
Naish presents in an easily understandable form the evolution and physiology of the mesozoic sea reptiles, without dumbing instead by explaining the terminology diligently. Furthermore, he introduces major research controversies and often provides alternative cladistics for the respective groups. When it comes to the reconstructions reasons for he choices made are given.
He does not focus on the big three (ichtyosaurs, plesiosurs and mosasaurs) but introduces minor groups as well, including the only one which has survived the KT-extinction event and even one present decendent: the leatherback turtles. In the beginning he introduces the geological and climatic changes influencing the evolution of marine reptiles, and he deals with the general research history, which is supplemented with details concerning the specific groups in the respective chapters.
But: Although research controversies are mentioned in the text, the book contains no bibliography only a very short "further reading" list with partially quite old book. Only in a few instances the caption accompanying photographies of fossils indicate where the respective pieces can be found, and if that is the case it is usually the city not the institution. Moreover maps showing the places where important fossils have been found would have been useful. I think that justifies going one star down.
July 15, 2023
A really great book that has filled a void in my knowledge of ancient sea reptiles. I knew a little bit about ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and mosasaurs but this book bought me right up to date with the latest understanding of the evolutionary history of all the reptile groups that adapted to life in the ocean. It is a book I will return to often as reference.
The book is technical and doesn't shy away from scientific terminology to create a brief and concise narrative of complex evolutionary relationships. With my training in geology and palaeontology, this book engaged and inspired me. Thoroughly recommend to anyone with a passion for palaeontology.
Also thanks to Darren Naish for signing my copy and doodling an Ichthyosaur in the cover at the Lime Regis Fossil Festival.
The book is technical and doesn't shy away from scientific terminology to create a brief and concise narrative of complex evolutionary relationships. With my training in geology and palaeontology, this book engaged and inspired me. Thoroughly recommend to anyone with a passion for palaeontology.
Also thanks to Darren Naish for signing my copy and doodling an Ichthyosaur in the cover at the Lime Regis Fossil Festival.
June 13, 2023
Due to its highly scientific nature, Ancient Sea Reptiles isn’t for everyone. But people like me, with advanced science degrees and background in ecology will enjoy Naish’s analysis of current and historical evolutionary theories, as well as his many illustrations of the text. In addition, photos of specimens discovered from the 1800s through the 21st century add visual details to the author’s descriptions. The strict use of scientific names can get confusing, and I used the evolutionary charts to identify the general appearance/characteristics of each group, as well as common ancestors and evolutionary patterns.
Some highly detailed and rather fanciful color illustrations add context to the photos of specimens’ bones, making the reptiles seem more realistic, and often more bizarre. For example, the idea that an ancient marine reptile might breach like a modern day whale seems far-fetched, but logical, given the convergent evolution that makes their skeletal structures similar.
Nonscientists might like exploring the Age of Reptiles using mostly the illustrations, to learn about ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, sea crocs, sea lizards, sea turtles, and their more ancient relatives. A very entertaining book, but don’t expect a quick read.
Some highly detailed and rather fanciful color illustrations add context to the photos of specimens’ bones, making the reptiles seem more realistic, and often more bizarre. For example, the idea that an ancient marine reptile might breach like a modern day whale seems far-fetched, but logical, given the convergent evolution that makes their skeletal structures similar.
Nonscientists might like exploring the Age of Reptiles using mostly the illustrations, to learn about ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, sea crocs, sea lizards, sea turtles, and their more ancient relatives. A very entertaining book, but don’t expect a quick read.
January 30, 2024
Ancient Sea Reptiles is a thorough, albeit difficult, book for readers with novice paleontology interest. Nash provides direct explanations, diagrams, photographs and artist renderings to introduce and inform readers on a variety of marine reptiles from prehistory. As stated above, I had a difficult time reading this book. It is straightforward to a fault, and assumes that the reader has basic understanding of biology and fossils, which I do not. However, I do not consider this a flaw of the author. The book managed to hold my interest even through passages I struggled to understand, and I look forward to returning to it once I have a firmer understanding of its subject.
August 8, 2024
I'm so glad I came across this at my local library, Sherwood Regional Library of Fairfax County, VA. I love learning more about prehistoric life and I love our oceans, but up to now I hadn't seen a book that focused exclusively on ancient megafauna of the seas.
There is so much information here and every page has at least one image. I appreciate that the author doesn't shy away from explaining when paleontologists disagree on what to call these creatures, what they looked like, and how they might have been related to one another. I am obsessed with all of the artistic depictions of how these animals may have been patterned, swam within the water column, and preyed upon others. It's like "The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide" by Terryl Whitlatch & Bob Carrou--but our OWN universe's creatures!
Nonetheless, I only give this book 4 out of 5 stars in large part because it doesn't seem to know what its intended audience is. The book explains simple terms like "tail fin" and "reptile" but not the complicated anatomical parts essential to deciding which genera fossils belong to. I don't think those with less than undergraduate scientific reading experience will be able to wade through its density. Furthermore, there are more typos in the second half than the first, betraying that the copyeditor didn't read the entire thing. I would have also liked a conclusion section, even if only a few paragraphs, to summarize key messages and major takeaways.
Regardless, this is a valuable contribution to the genre of coffee table sized paleontology books for adults; it is beautifully illustrated and meticulously researched. I have a greater understanding of and respect for the giant reptiles of our ancient seas. I will now be sure to give their halls more than just a cursory glance whenever I visit a natural history museum.
There is so much information here and every page has at least one image. I appreciate that the author doesn't shy away from explaining when paleontologists disagree on what to call these creatures, what they looked like, and how they might have been related to one another. I am obsessed with all of the artistic depictions of how these animals may have been patterned, swam within the water column, and preyed upon others. It's like "The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide" by Terryl Whitlatch & Bob Carrou--but our OWN universe's creatures!
Nonetheless, I only give this book 4 out of 5 stars in large part because it doesn't seem to know what its intended audience is. The book explains simple terms like "tail fin" and "reptile" but not the complicated anatomical parts essential to deciding which genera fossils belong to. I don't think those with less than undergraduate scientific reading experience will be able to wade through its density. Furthermore, there are more typos in the second half than the first, betraying that the copyeditor didn't read the entire thing. I would have also liked a conclusion section, even if only a few paragraphs, to summarize key messages and major takeaways.
Regardless, this is a valuable contribution to the genre of coffee table sized paleontology books for adults; it is beautifully illustrated and meticulously researched. I have a greater understanding of and respect for the giant reptiles of our ancient seas. I will now be sure to give their halls more than just a cursory glance whenever I visit a natural history museum.
June 28, 2023
Ancient Sea Reptiles joins the ranks of numerous other excellent paleontology books released in recent years. Dr. Naish's book goes into relatively great technical detail to explain the evolutionary history, fossil records, and inferred behaviors of all major groups of marine reptiles present in the Mesozoic Era. Naish neither obfuscates his points with unnecessary jargon nor belittles his readers' intelligence by presenting his information in an overly simplified fashion. In other words, while Ancient Sea Reptiles is accessible to readers outside of paleontology, this book (not unfairly) asks a lot of them. It is scholarly and information-dense, not a breezy read, in spite of its deceptively low page count.
Accompanying Naish's text are fabulous illustrations and photographs that allow the reader to more easily visualize the creatures described in the book. The reconstructions do not shy away from from speculative, but plausible, features (e.g., I adore the Suevoleviathan with the colorful tail fluke on p. 111). Where I concur with other readers in their criticism is that more maps should have been included to clarify proposed ranges and migratory routes. For those who enjoy reading scientific journals, the lack of citations is also quite disappointing, and there were numerous typographical errors that should not have made it past an editor.
This is the only book of which I am aware that offers a comprehensive and up-to-date examination of Mesozoic marine reptiles. If the subject at all interests you, this is undoubtedly the text to read.
Accompanying Naish's text are fabulous illustrations and photographs that allow the reader to more easily visualize the creatures described in the book. The reconstructions do not shy away from from speculative, but plausible, features (e.g., I adore the Suevoleviathan with the colorful tail fluke on p. 111). Where I concur with other readers in their criticism is that more maps should have been included to clarify proposed ranges and migratory routes. For those who enjoy reading scientific journals, the lack of citations is also quite disappointing, and there were numerous typographical errors that should not have made it past an editor.
This is the only book of which I am aware that offers a comprehensive and up-to-date examination of Mesozoic marine reptiles. If the subject at all interests you, this is undoubtedly the text to read.
June 21, 2025
A very well-written overview of all major groups of Mesozoic marine reptiles, written for the seriously interested layperson. With individual chapters dedicated to ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, thalattosuchians, mosasaurs and marine turtles as well as a catch-all chapter on other important groups, the book is quite comprehensive and covers everything from scientific history over anatomy and phylogeny to speculations about behaviour. The author also does a good job of highlighting important fossil discoveries as well as species with more unusual traits. A great introduction for people with a strong interest in Mesozoic palaeontology and a very welcome chance to bring my knowledge of this field up to date with the newest research and discoveries. Highly recommended.
October 23, 2023
This was an understandable book that did not talk down to the reader and had many fascinating reptiles described, as well as wonderful photos and illustrations! I had a great time reading it and will need to check out more of these Smithsonian books! It was educational, entertaining, and easy to read!
If you’re an expert or looking for source materials or something, this book may not be for you. For a layman looking for a fun dinosaur read, this is for you!
If you’re an expert or looking for source materials or something, this book may not be for you. For a layman looking for a fun dinosaur read, this is for you!
March 8, 2024
Si te manejas bien con el inglés, es una elección perfecta para aprender sobre los distintos grupos de reptiles marinos del Mesozoico. Didáctico, ligero y profusamente acompañado de fotografías e ilustraciones
July 13, 2024
Beautiful illustrations and well written, this is a great book for anyone that wants to know more about mesozoic marine life
October 31, 2024
This is basically a comprehensive, very good and thorough, well-organized textbook...that I read cover-to-cover. :)
January 8, 2025
Definitely not for the casual paleontology fan, but the book has fantastic information that filled a stubborn gap in my knowledge. Big fan of Darren Naish, hope he becomes prolific.
February 12, 2025
Very nicely written and informative book, plus it features great art and pictures.
August 8, 2025
Понравилось, но без фанатизма
April 28, 2023
A beautifully illustrated book, Ancient Sea Reptiles hits the sweet spot when it comes to scientific content, offering a thorough introduction to the biology and especially taxonomy of these extinct creatures. Read my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2023...
March 8, 2024
A decent summary but full of difficult and infallible at sounding names, since most of the animals mentioned lacked common names.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews