Lone Star Dinosaurs

Last updated
Lone Star Dinosaurs
Cover of book Lone Star Dinosaurs by Louis L. Jacobs.jpg
Cover for Lone Star Dinosaurs
Author Louis L. Jacobs
IllustratorKaren Carr
Genre Non-fiction
Publisher Ivan R. Dee
Publication date
1995
Media typePrint (Hardcover & paperback)
ISBN 0-613-28934-X

Lone Star Dinosaurs is a book written by Louis L. Jacobs and published in 1995. It concerns the history of dinosaurs in Texas and the people who found their remains. Most of the dinosaurs in the book are from the Cretaceous age and a few of the dinosaurs include Pleurocoelus , Alamosaurus , Tenontosaurus , Tyrannosaurus rex , and the pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus . The stories within the book were compiled directly from the people who found the fossils.

Contents

The book's subject material was used as the basis for an exhibit opened on November 3, 1995, at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. The exhibit included paintings, bones exhumed from Texas, and interactive video components. [1] Subsequent versions of the exhibit were also shown at other museums throughout the following year. [2]

Content

The book begins by discussing the history of paleontology in Texas and several of the more renowned academic researchers in the field, including Robert T. Hill. The various types of dinosaurs discovered in the Texas strata, along with a more general look at paleontological finds around the world. This chapter is followed by three others that each focus on a different period of evolutionary history for Texas dinosaurs. [3] A feature of the book are the stories of how each species' fossil was discovered by non-scientists visiting each region, with an often noted discovery involving a 7 year old boy in 1988 finding an exposed Tenontosaurus skull alongside a riverbank. [4]

The first chapter looks into the late Triassic period where early forms of well known dinosaur species were just beginning to evolve and whose fossils were uncovered in the Texas Dockum Formation. The second history chapter covers the middle Cretaceous period that had fossils found in the Paluxy Formation, the Glen Rose Formation, and the Twin Mountains Formation. Lastly, the third and final chapter covering the history of Texas fossil discoveries moves to the late Cretaceous and the more reptilian finds at the Aguja Formation and the Javelina Formation. [5]

Style and tone

For The Quarterly Review of Biology , Edwin H. Colbert notes the "felicitous prose style" of the book that has "excellent descriptions" that are "abundant illustrated by the very skillful and imaginative paintings of Karen Carr". [5] Robert Burnham for Earth magazine stated that Jacobs "is a marvelous raconteur, sweeping the reader along in a comfortable, amiable way". [3] A review in Choice by D. Bardack said that Jacobs uses a "conversational style" that helps to get across the "salient points of anatomy" that relate to dinosaur evolutionary history. [6]

Critical reception

Judyth Rigler of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram called it a "visually stunning volume" that included "lively stories" about how the fossils were discovered. [7] In the journal Nature , Douglas Palmer described the book as a "homely American family tale of hard work and togetherness in the search for and discovery of dinosaurs", though he lamented that children in the United Kingdom won't have the opportunities for such fossilized exploration. [8] The Houston Chronicle's Charles P. Thobae criticized the writing style, being unclear on whom the book was aimed at, as the "prose style is at times technical and at other times overly simplistic". [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Sauroposeidon</i> Sauropod dinosaur genus from the Early Cretaceous period

Sauroposeidon is a genus of sauropod dinosaur known from several incomplete specimens including a bone bed and fossilized trackways that have been found in the U.S. states of Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Texas.

<i>Acrocanthosaurus</i> Genus of carcharodontosaurid dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous

Acrocanthosaurus is a genus of carcharodontosaurid dinosaur that existed in what is now North America during the Aptian and early Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous. Like most dinosaur genera, Acrocanthosaurus contains only a single species, A. atokensis. Its fossil remains are found mainly in the U.S. states of Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming, although teeth attributed to Acrocanthosaurus have been found as far east as Maryland, suggesting a continent wide range.

<i>Tenontosaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Tenontosaurus is a genus of medium- to large-sized ornithopod dinosaur. The genus is known from the late Aptian to Albian ages of the Early Cretaceous period sediments of western North America, dating between 115 and 108 million years ago.

<i>Astrodon</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Astrodon is a genus of large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur, related to Brachiosaurus, that lived in what is now the eastern United States during the Early Cretaceous period. Its fossils have been found in the Arundel Formation, which has been dated through palynomorphs to the Albian about 112 million years ago. Adults are estimated to have been more than 9 m (30 ft) high and 15 to 18 m long.

Louis Leo Jacobs is an American vertebrate paleontologist who discovered Malawisaurus while on an expedition in Malawi. Much of his research concerns the interrelationships of biotic and abiotic events through time. In recent years he has focused on the middle portion of the Cretaceous and the Cenozoic, especially with respect to terrestrial ecosystems.

Paleontology in North Carolina

Paleontology in North Carolina refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U. S. state of North Carolina. Fossils are common in North Carolina. According to author Rufus Johnson, "almost every major river and creek east of Interstate 95 has exposures where fossils can be found". The fossil record of North Carolina spans from Eocambrian remains that are 600 million years old, to the Pleistocene 10,000 years ago.

Paleontology in Texas

Paleontology in Texas refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Texas. Author Marian Murray has remarked that "Texas is as big for fossils as it is for everything else." Some of the most important fossil finds in United States history have come from Texas. Fossils can be found throughout most of the state. The fossil record of Texas spans almost the entire geologic column from Precambrian to Pleistocene. Shark teeth are probably the state's most common fossil. During the early Paleozoic era Texas was covered by a sea that would later be home to creatures like brachiopods, cephalopods, graptolites, and trilobites. Little is known about the state's Devonian and early Carboniferous life. However, evidence indicates that during the late Carboniferous the state was home to marine life, land plants and early reptiles. During the Permian, the seas largely shrank away, but nevertheless coral reefs formed in the state. The rest of Texas was a coastal plain inhabited by early relatives of mammals like Dimetrodon and Edaphosaurus. During the Triassic, a great river system formed in the state that was inhabited by crocodile-like phytosaurs. Little is known about Jurassic Texas, but there are fossil aquatic invertebrates of this age like ammonites in the state. During the Early Cretaceous local large sauropods and theropods left a great abundance of footprints. Later in the Cretaceous, the state was covered by the Western Interior Seaway and home to creatures like mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and few icthyosaurs. Early Cenozoic Texas still contained areas covered in seawater where invertebrates and sharks lived. On land the state would come to be home to creatures like glyptodonts, mammoths, mastodons, saber-toothed cats, giant ground sloths, titanotheres, uintatheres, and dire wolves. Archaeological evidence suggests that local Native Americans knew about local fossils. Formally trained scientists were already investigating the state's fossils by the late 1800s. In 1938, a major dinosaur footprint find occurred near Glen Rose. Pleurocoelus was the Texas state dinosaur from 1997 to 2009, when it was replaced by Paluxysaurus jonesi after the Texan fossils once referred to the former species were reclassified to a new genus.

Paleontology in Montana

Paleontology in Montana refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Montana. The fossil record in Montana stretches all the way back to the Precambrian. During the Late Precambrian, western Montana was covered by a warm, shallow sea where local bacteria formed stromatolites and bottom-dwelling marine life left tracks on the sediment that would later fossilize. This sea remained in place during the early Paleozoic, although withdrew during the Silurian and Early Devonian, leaving a gap in the local rock record until its return. This sea was home to creatures including brachiopods, conodonts, crinoids, fish, and trilobites. During the Carboniferous the state was home to an unusual cartilaginous fish fauna. Later in the Paleozoic the sea began to withdraw, but with a brief return during the Permian.

Paleontology in New Mexico

Paleontology in New Mexico refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of New Mexico. The fossil record of New Mexico is exceptionally complete and spans almost the entire stratigraphic column. More than 3,300 different kinds of fossil organisms have been found in the state. Of these more than 700 of these were new to science and more than 100 of those were type species for new genera. During the early Paleozoic, southern and western New Mexico were submerged by a warm shallow sea that would come to be home to creatures including brachiopods, bryozoans, cartilaginous fishes, corals, graptolites, nautiloids, placoderms, and trilobites. During the Ordovician the state was home to algal reefs up to 300 feet high. During the Carboniferous, a richly vegetated island chain emerged from the local sea. Coral reefs formed in the state's seas while terrestrial regions of the state dried and were home to sand dunes. Local wildlife included Edaphosaurus, Ophiacodon, and Sphenacodon.

Paleontology in Arizona Review of the topic

Paleontology in Arizona refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Arizona. The fossil record of Arizona dates to the Precambrian. During the Precambrian, Arizona was home to a shallow sea which was home to jellyfish and stromatolite-forming bacteria. This sea was still in place during the Cambrian period of the Paleozoic era and was home to brachiopods and trilobites, but it withdrew during the Ordovician and Silurian. The sea returned during the Devonian and was home to brachiopods, corals, and fishes. Sea levels began to rise and fall during the Carboniferous, leaving most of the state a richly vegetated coastal plain during the low spells. During the Permian, Arizona was richly vegetated but was submerged by seawater late in the period.

Paleontology in the United States

Paleontology in the United States refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the United States. Paleontologists have found that at the start of the Paleozoic era, what is now "North" America was actually in the southern hemisphere. Marine life flourished in the country's many seas. Later the seas were largely replaced by swamps, home to amphibians and early reptiles. When the continents had assembled into Pangaea drier conditions prevailed. The evolutionary precursors to mammals dominated the country until a mass extinction event ended their reign.

The prehistory of the United States comprises the occurrences within regions now part of the United States during the interval of time spanning from the formation of the Earth to the documentation of local history in written form. At the start of the Paleozoic era, what is now "North" America was actually in the southern hemisphere. Marine life flourished in the country's many seas, although terrestrial life had not yet evolved. During the latter part of the Paleozoic, seas were largely replaced by swamps home to amphibians and early reptiles. When the continents had assembled into Pangaea drier conditions prevailed. The evolutionary precursors to mammals dominated the country until a mass extinction event ended their reign.

History of paleontology in the United States

The history of paleontology in the United States refers to the developments and discoveries regarding fossils found within or by people from the United States of America. Local paleontology began informally with Native Americans, who have been familiar with fossils for thousands of years. They both told myths about them and applied them to practical purposes. African slaves also contributed their knowledge; the first reasonably accurate recorded identification of vertebrate fossils in the new world was made by slaves on a South Carolina plantation who recognized the elephant affinities of mammoth molars uncovered there in 1725. The first major fossil discovery to attract the attention of formally trained scientists were the Ice Age fossils of Kentucky's Big Bone Lick. These fossils were studied by eminent intellectuals like France's George Cuvier and local statesmen and frontiersman like Daniel Boone, Benjamin Franklin, William Henry Harrison, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. By the end of the 18th century possible dinosaur fossils had already been found.

Trinity Group (geologic group)

The Trinity Group is a group in the Lower Cretaceous lithostratigraphy of Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, New Mexico, Louisiana and Oklahoma. It is named for the Trinity River of Texas.

Timeline of dromaeosaurid research

This timeline of dromaeosaurid research is a chronological listing of events in the history of paleontology focused on the dromaeosaurids, a group of sickle-clawed, bird-like theropod dinosaurs including animals like Velociraptor. Since the Native Americans of Montana used the sediments of the Cloverly Formation to produce pigments, they may have encountered remains of the dromaeosaurid Deinonychus hundreds of years before these fossils came to the attention of formally trained scientists.

Timeline of coelophysoid research

This timeline of coelophysoid research is a chronological listing of events in the history of paleontology focused on the coelophysoids, a group of primitive theropod dinosaurs that were among Earth's dominant predators during the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic epochs. Although formally trained scientists didn't discover coelophysoid fossils until the late 19th century, Native Americans of the modern southwestern United States may have already encountered their fossils. Navajo creation mythology describes the early Earth as being inhabited by a variety of different kinds of monsters who hunted humans for food. These monsters were killed by storms and the heroic Monster Slayers, leaving behind their bones. As these tales were told in New Mexico not far from bonebeds of Coelophysis, this dinosaur's remains may have been among the fossil remains that inspired the story.

20th century in ichnology

The 20th century in ichnology refers to advances made between the years 1900 and 1999 in the scientific study of trace fossils, the preserved record of the behavior and physiological processes of ancient life forms, especially fossil footprints. Significant fossil trackway discoveries began almost immediately after the start of the 20th century with the 1900 discovery at Ipolytarnoc, Hungary of a wide variety of bird and mammal footprints left behind during the early Miocene. Not long after, fossil Iguanodon footprints were discovered in Sussex, England, a discovery that probably served as the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World.

<i>Convolosaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Convolosaurus is a genus of basal ornithopod dinosaur from the Twin Mountains Formation from Proctor Lake in Comanche County, Texas. The type and only species is Convolosaurus marri.

References

  1. Baker, Anita (October 29, 1995). "Texas Scholars Dig In for Dinosaurs". Tulsa World . Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  2. "'Lone Star Dinosaurs' exhibit displays recent discoveries". The Odessa American . April 28, 1996. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Burnham, Robert (April 1997). "Dinos, y'all". Earth. Kalmbach Publishing. 6 (2): 68. ISSN   1056-148X . Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  4. Clements, Steve (November 13, 1995). "Area may be fossil mecca". Times Record News . pp. 1A, 5A . Retrieved January 6, 2022 via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 Colbert EH (June 1997). "Review: Lone Star Dinosaurs". The Quarterly Review of Biology . 72 (2): 192–193. doi:10.1086/419773. JSTOR   3036345 . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  6. Bardack, D. (March 1996). "Review: Lone Star Dinosaurs". CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries . Association of College and Research Libraries. 33 (7): 1165. ISSN   0009-4978 . Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  7. Rigler, Judyth (October 22, 1995). "The dino-port ... and other Triassic facts". Fort Worth Star-Telegram . Retrieved January 6, 2022 via Newspapers.com.
  8. Palmer D (November 16, 1995). "Fossils for the next generation". Nature . 378 (6554): 317. doi: 10.1038/378317b0 . Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  9. Thobae, Charles P. (January 28, 1996). "T. rex for Texas". Houston Chronicle : Z21. Retrieved January 8, 2022 via ProQuest.