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Biology of the Sauropod Dinosaurs
Understanding the Life of Giants
Edited by Nicole Klein, Kristian Remes, Carole T. Gee and P. Martin Sander
Contributions by Oliver Wings, András Borbély, Thomas Breuer, Andreas Christian, Marcus Clauss, Maïtena Dumont, Gordon Dzemski, Regina Fechner, Bergita Ganse, Carole T. Gee, Rainer Goessling, Eva Maria Griebeler, Hanns-Christian Gunga, Oliver Hampe, Wolf-Dieter Heinrich, Bianca Hohn, Jürgen Hummel, Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, Nicole Klein, Aleksander Kostka, Heinrich Mallison, Julia Mannhardt, Pascal De Micheli, Nadine Pajor, Steven F. Perry, Holger Preuschoft, Oliver W. M. Rauhut, Katrin Reis, Kristian Remes, P. Martin Sander, Alexander Stahn, Koen Stein, Stefan Stoinski, Tim Suthau, Thomas Tütken, David M. Unwin, Jan Werner and Ulrich Witzel
Published by: Indiana University Press
344 Pages, 35 color illus., 148 b&w illus.
- eBook
- 9780253013552
- Published: April 2011
$9.99
Other Retailers:
Sauropods, those huge plant-eating dinosaurs, possessed bodies that seem to defy every natural law. What were these creatures like as living animals and how could they reach such uniquely gigantic sizes? A dedicated group of researchers in Germany in disciplines ranging from engineering and materials science to animal nutrition and paleontology went in search of the answers to these questions. Biology of the Sauropod Dinosaurs reports on the latest results from this seemingly disparate group of research fields and integrates them into a coherent theory regarding sauropod gigantism. Covering nutrition, physiology, growth, and skeletal structure and body plans, this volume presents the most up-to-date knowledge about the biology of these enormous dinosaurs.
List of Contributors
Preface
List of Institutional Abbreviations
Introduction
1. Sauropod Biology and the Evolution of Gigantism: What Do We Know? / Marcus Clauss
Part 1. Nutrition
2. Sauropod Feeding and Digestive Physiology / Jürgen Hummel and Marcus Clauss
3. Dietary Options for the Sauropod Dinosaurs from an Integrated Botanical and Paleobotanical Perspective / Carole T. Gee
4. The Diet of Sauropod Dinosaurs: Implications of Carbon Isotope Analysis on Teeth, Bones, and Plants / Thomas Tütken
Part 2. Physiology
5. Structure and Function of the Sauropod Respiratory System / Steven F. Perry, Thomas Breuer, and Nadine Pajor
6. Reconstructing Body Volume and Surface Area of Dinosaurs Using Laser Scanning and Photogrammetry / Stefan Stoinski, Tim Suthau, and Hanns-Christian Gunga
7. Body Mass Estimation, Thermoregulation, and Cardiovascular Physiology of Large Sauropods / Bergita Ganse, Alexander Stahn, Stefan Stoinski, Tim Suthau, and Hanns-Christian Gunga
Part 3. Construction
8. How to Get Big in the Mesozoic: The Evolution of the Sauropodomorph Body Plan / Oliver W. M. Rauhut, Regina Fechner, Kristian Remes, and Katrin Reis
9. Characterization of Sauropod Bone Structure / Maïtena Dumont, Anke Pyzalla, Aleksander Kostka, and Andras Borbély
10. Finite Element Analyses and Virtual Syntheses of Biological Structures and Their Application to Sauropod Skulls / Ulrich Witzel, Julia Mannhardt, Rainer Goessling, Pascal de Micheli, and Holger Preuschoft
11. Walking with the Shoulder of Giants: Biomechanical Conditions in the Tetrapod Shoulder Girdle as a Basis for Sauropod Shoulder Reconstruction / Bianca Hohn
12. Why So Huge? Biomechanical Reasons for the Acquisition of Large Size in Sauropod and Theropod Dinosaurs / Holger Preuschoft, Bianca Hohn, Stefan Stoinski, and Ulrich Witzel
13. Plateosaurus in 3D: How CAD Models and Kinetic-Dynamic Modeling Bring an Extinct Animal to Life / Heinrich Mallison
14. Rearing Giants: Kinetic-Dynamic Modeling of Sauropod Bipedal and Tripodal Poses / Heinrich Mallison
15. Neck Posture in Sauropods / Andreas Christian and Gordon Dzemski
Part 4. Growth
16. The Life Cycle of Sauropod Dinosaurs / Eva-Maria Griebeler and Jan Werner
17. Sauropod Bone Histology and Its Implications for Sauropod Biology / P. Martin Sander, Nicole Klein, Koen Stein, and Oliver Wings
Part 5. Epilogue
18. Skeletal Reconstruction of Brachiosaurus brancai in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin: Summarizing 70 Years of Sauropod Research / Kristian Remes, David M. Unwin, Nicole Klein, Wolf-Dieter Heinrich, and Oliver Hampe
Appendix: Compilation of Published Body Mass Data for a Variety of Basal Sauropodomorphs and Sauropods
Index
Nicole Klein is a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Bonn who specializes in sauropodomorph dinosaur bone histology and marine reptiles from the Middle Triassic Muschelkalk deposits of Central Europe. She has done extensive fieldwork in many parts of the world, including Alaska and Nevada in the United States, and Ethiopia.
Kristian Remes has studied sauropodomorph anatomy, functional morphology, and phylogeny. He played a major role in the remounting of the famous Brachiosaurus skeleton in the newly renovated Dinosaur Hall at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin. He is now a program director at the German Research Foundation (DFG).
Carole T. Gee, a senior research scientist at the University of Bonn, has worked on the Mesozoic flora for the last 25 years. She is the Research Unit's paleobotanist and answers questions on sauropod herbivory and the Mesozoic vegetation. Her research applies the knowledge of living plants and their ecological preferences to the interpretation of fossil plants and their habitats, and also includes studies on Eocene mangroves, Tertiary fruits and seeds, and plant taphonomy.
P. Martin Sander is a professor of vertebrate paleontology at the University of Bonn and head of the DFG Research Unit 533 "Biology of the Sauropod Dinosaurs: The Evolution of Gigantism." His research interests are the major events in the evolution of tetrapod vertebrates and how the fossil record helps us to understand them. His core expertise is the microstructure of dinosaur bone and the diversity and evolution of marine reptiles.
In an effort to explain why and how the largest of the sauropod dinosaurs achieved their gargantuan size, a group of German and Swiss researchers worked together to explore dinosaur gigantism. The 38 authors included here are not just paleontologists but also specialists in zoology, animal nutrition, bone histology, computer modeling, and geochemistry, to list only some of the areas of expertise involved. Approaching the biology of the sauropods from four different perspectives-those of physiology, nutrition, growth, and construction-the researchers offer readers an integrated view representing the highlights of their seven years of multidisciplinary examination. Filled with 183 illustrations, including detailed diagrams, graphs, and schematics, this is a unique reference work. Verdict While the book appears to be dauntingly scientific, it is actually remarkably accessible, even for the nonscientific reader. Dinosaur lovers will find it very interesting, while scientists will be deeply impressed by the research and results of the multidisciplinary approach.-Gloria Maxwell, Metropolitan Community Coll.–Penn Valley, Kansas City, MO
~LIBRARY JOURNAL
Few dinosaurs are more iconic than the long-necked sauropods. Their enormous size has intrigued dinosaur lovers of all ages. But how could they reach such gigantic proportions? What were the advantages and disadvantages of gigantism? An interdisciplinary research consortium of German and Swiss scientists set out to address this topic. The 18 articles in this collection are the fruit of seven years of collaborative effort, and shed much light on sauropod anatomy and physiology. The contributions are arranged under four broad categories: 'Nutrition,' 'Physiology,' 'Construction,' and 'Growth.' The book considers probable diets and models of herbivory based on digestive morphology and the energy content of contemporary vegetation. The respiratory and circulatory systems receive close attention, especially the implications of recent evidence for avian-type air sacs, and the discussion of thermoregulation makes an important contribution to the long-running debate over endothermy in dinosaurs. Contributors also provide an in-depth examination of the structure, development, and evolution of skeletal anatomy. The volume includes several color plates and a lengthy subject index. A valuable acquisition for college libraries. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty. —Choice
~B. E. Fleury
Biology of the Sauropod Dinosaurs . . . is full of new hypotheses and will enliven debates on sauropods for many years to come.
~Geological Magazine
This book is highly recommended for any library with natural history collections. It is a superb compendium of the latest sauropod research at a reasonable price.
~American Reference Books
This is a beautifully produced volume that will prove invaluable to anyone interested in the biology of Mesozoic vertebrates.
~Qtly Review of Biology
Comprehensive.
~New York Times
While the book appears to be dauntingly scientific, it is actually remarkably accessible, even for the nonscientific reader. Dinosaur lovers will find it very interesting, while scientists will be deeply impressed by the research and results of the multidisciplinary approach. August 5, 2011
~Library Journal
The 18 articles in this collection are the fruit of seven years of collaborative effort, and shed much light on sauropod anatomy and physiology. . . . A valuable acquisition for college libraries. . . . Highly recommended. September 2011
~Choice
Provide[s] much new information on the biology of Sauropod dinosaurs; information extrapolated from studies of extant animals and from unique, new methodologies for examining fossil material.
~Virginia Tidwell, Denver Museum of Nature and Science