| Description |
xvii, 210 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm |
|
regular print |
| Series |
Life of the past |
|
Life of the past.
|
| Contents |
Introduction: The Lizard of Aus -- 1. The Pleistocene World -- 2. The Pleistocene in Australia -- 3. The Discovery of Megalania -- 4. Megalania and Other Varanids -- 5. The Paleobiology of Megalania -- 6. Why Megalania? -- 7. Summary: How a Dragon Came to Be |
| Summary |
"Dragons in the Dust tells the story of these lizards and the world in which they lived. The book explores the Pleistocene, the time of the ice ages, when climates changed and glaciers advanced over vast stretches of the globe. In Australia the changes in environment had an impact on the evolution of that continent's unique fauna. While mammals ruled elsewhere, here reptiles held their dominance. Large monitor lizards survive to this day, but the discovery of fossil remains of Megalania revealed that their ancestors were true giants and formidable predators. How scientists have reconstructed how these animals lived and what factors encouraged their evolution make up part of the story. What caused their extinction remains a mystery, and one that makes an intriguing conclusion to this look at a true dragon of the past."--BOOK JACKET |
| Notes |
Formerly CIP. Uk |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references ( pages 191-202)and index |
| Subject |
Megalania.
|
|
Paleobiology -- Southern Hemisphere.
|
|
Paleontology -- Pleistocene.
|
|
Dinosaurs -- Australia.
|
| LC no. |
2003015569 |
| ISBN |
0253343747 cloth alkaline paper |
|
