Wenzel, G. 2004. Feathered dinosaurs of China. – Watertown, Charlesbridge Publishing

Abstract

“Let`s step back 124 million years. The scene looks nothing like present–day…” This is how Gregory Wenzel`s story on the feathered dinosaurs of China begins. His book takes us on a journey to an early Cretaceous lakebed, in a part of China now called Liaoning Province. Readers meet the numerous inhabitants of the lakebed; feathered and non–feathered. A few examples are the largest feathered dinosaur ever, Beipiaosaurus, a plant eater with fearsome claws; the lizard–like aquatic predatorBeipiaosaurus,, Sinosauropteryx with its 64 vertebrae long tail and Jinzhousaurus, one of the largest of the Liaoning dinosaurs. The story describes predator/prey relationships and provides information on the appearance and way of life of the different dinosaurs. In the beginning and at the end of the book, Wenzel describes how the dinosaurs become fossilised. He also provides evidence that modern birds are the descendents of dinosaurs and that the feathered fossils of China represent an important transition between the two. Read more...