An illustrated look at the art and science of paleontology from its origins to today

Humans have been stumbling upon the petrified remains of ancient animals since prehistoric times, leading to tales of giant dogs, deadly dragons, tree gods, sea serpents, and all manner of strange and marvelous creatures. In this richly illustrated book, David Bainbridge recounts how legends like these gradually gave rise to the modern science of paleontology, and how this pioneering discipline has reshaped our view of the natural world.

Bainbridge takes readers from ancient Greece to the eighteenth century, when paleontology began to coalesce into the scientific field we know today, and discusses how contemporary paleontologists use cutting-edge technologies to flesh out the discoveries

of past and present. He brings to life the stories and people behind some of the greatest fossil finds of all time, and explains how paleontology has long straddled the spheres of science and art. Bainbridge also looks to the future of the discipline, discussing how the rapid recovery of DNA and other genetic material from the fossil record promises to revolutionize our understanding of the origins and evolution of ancient life.

This panoramic book brings together stunning illustrations ranging from early sketches and engravings to eye-popping paleoart and high-tech computer reconstructions.

本书图文并茂地介绍了古生物学从起源至今的艺术和科学。

自史前时代以来，人类一直在偶然发现古代动物的石化遗骸，从而产生了关于巨犬、致命的龙、树神、海蛇以及各种奇怪和令人惊叹的生物的故事。在这本图文并茂的书中，大卫·班布里奇（David Bainbridge）讲述了像这样的传说是如何逐渐产生了现代的古生物学，以及这门先锋学科是如何重塑我们对自然世界的看法的。

班布里奇带领读者从古希腊到十八世纪，当时古生物学开始凝聚成我们今天所知的科学领域，并讨论了当代古生物学家如何使用尖端技术来充实过去和现在的发现。他将有史以来一些最伟大的化石发现背后的故事和人物带到了现实中，并解释了古生物学是如何长期跨越科学和艺术领域的。班布里奇还展望了该学科的未来，讨论了从化石记录中快速恢复DNA和其他遗传物质如何有望彻底改变我们对古代生命的起源和进化的理解。

本书汇集了令人惊叹的全页插图，从早期的素描和雕刻到令人瞠目结舌的古美术和高科技的计算机重建。