Prehistoric Monsters

A super-simple introduction to prehistoric animals, from the first weird and wonderful life forms on Earth to the earliest Ice Age humans–and much, much more.

Over centuries, discoveries of fossil bones spawned legends of monsters such as giants and dragons. As the field of earth sciences matured during the 19th century, early fossilists gained understanding of prehistoric creatures such as Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops and Stegosaurus. This historical study examines how these genuine beasts morphed in the public imagination into mythical, powerful engines of destruction and harbingers of cataclysm, taking their place in popular culture, film, and literature as symbols of "lost worlds" where time stands still.

A companion volume to the 3-D "Sea Monsters" film reveals the terrifying predators that lurked in the underwater Cretaceous world, in a volume that also profiles the scientists who study these ancient monsters and the technology that made the film possible.

In prehistoric times there existed creatures bigger and often fiercer than dinosaurs, whose exploits have inspired more terrifying legends than any other group of animals. Their watery home has kept them hidden from view - until now. Monsters once again recreates the prehistoric world, giving us an insight into the underwater environment of that time and the strange and fascinating creatures that dwelt there. The leading wildlife television presenter, Nigel Marven, explores their world through a series of encounters, where he dives deep into the past and swims with these extraordinary reptiles and mammals. From the fearsome hunter, Liopleurodon, one of the biggest predators that ever existed, to Megalograptus, the most vicious of the spiny sea scorpions, the deadly prehistoric seas are vividly brought to life as we see these creatures through Nigel's eyes. Some of the ancestors of these predators exist today, but even the great white shark and blue whale cannot come close in threat and size to these prehistoric species. reconstruction of these creatures, with details of the modern sites, from New York to Egypt, where water once covered the land.

Since the dinosaurs died out over 65 million years ago our planet has been dominated by mammals. A succession of bizarre evolutionary specimens have come and gone -- from walking whales to sabre-toothed cats -- yet many of these magnificent creatures have never been visualized before. Now, for the first time, spectacular and unfamiliar animals are recreated and set in the context of their world. Walking with Prehistoric Beasts reveals the extraordinary ancestors of modern mammals and the arrival of man, bringing to life the roots of our heritage. Following on from the hugely-acclaimed Walking with Dinosuars, Walking with Prehistoric Beasts recreates the creatures and landscapes of post-dinosaur Earth; transporting us to the icy plains of the mammoth, dark forests stalked by giant carnivorous birds, and deserts dominated by 16 ton Indricotheres. From the tiny fruit-eating primate Apidium, to the powerful chalicotheres, whose curved claws forced them to walk on their knuckles, the lives of these little known creatures are vividly brought to life. Meet the bizarre hose-nosed Macrauchenia, and the Deodicurus, a giant armadillo with a spiked club for a tail; run with cat-sized horses and rhino-sized carnivorous pigs, hunt with the skull-crushing Andrewsarchus, and walk with the very first humans. Illustrated boxes describe the latest scientific evidence that led to the reconsturctions of these creatures, while character boxes provide information on behavior and habitats. The text is illustrated throughout with ground-breaking computer graphic images to offer a unique record of lost worlds never seen before and reveal many of the most spectacular periods in Earth's history. Also available, accompanying the Walking with Prehistoric Beasts TV series, are books for children, home videos, a DVD, and a CD of the soundtrack from the series.

The ocean is filled with giant, strange, and scary creatures such as whales, octopuses, and sharks—but the prehistoric megalodon was powerful enough to crush a killer whale. Other sea beasts of the past could hold their own against even the most mysterious of modern sea creatures. Sea scorpions had claws the size of tennis rackets. Tanystropheus used its long neck to catch fish from land. And Leedsichthys had as many as 40,000 teeth! What would happen if these extinct beasts came to life? Imagine prehistoric sea beasts chasing dolphins, fighting crocodiles, and hunting humpback whales—and learn all about the prehistoric creatures of the deep!

Briefly describes, in chronological order, many of the strange animals that lived on earth between the time life began and the appearance of humans.

Text and digitally-created illustrations cover more than one hundred of the earliest beasts with profiles on their physical characteristics, habitat, behavior, and distribution across prehistoric Earth.

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Prepare to take a journey back in time to witness the most fearsome creatures ever to walk the Earth. Enter hostile habitats; from bug-filled swamps to dinosaur deserts, and meet everything from giant scorpions and mutant reptiles to monstrous snakes and sabre tooth cats. Read on to discover the most weird, strange and terrifying creatures ever to fly, walk and swim our world, read on to discover the terrible tale of life on Earth.