DINO LAND BOOK REVIEWS
(Book Review: Dinosaurs of the Air, by Gregory S. Paul, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, 2002. ISBN 0-8018-6763-0)
In 1988 Baltimore paleoartist and free lance paleontologist Greg Paul made a literary debut that was nothing short of triumphant. And, that's a modest assessment. In that year Paul published one of the finest dinosaur books ever written, the intriguing, thought-provoking, and lavishly illustrated Predatory Dinosaurs of the World. Unfortunately, this book is now out of print, robbing many paleo buffs, including yours truly, from owning a copy of one of the science's most important volumes. However, 14 years after the publication of his masterpiece, Greg Paul has returned to the area of semi-technical popular writing with the publication of another must-own volume.
One of the hottest paleontological topics in recent memory is the dinosaur-bird evolution hypothesis. Although now all but proven, this hypothesis has generated thousands of papers and an equal number of questions. While the general idea of a dinosaur-bird link is as strong as the theraspid-mammal link, paleontologists continue to squabble over the seemingly "minor" details of theropod and avian phylogeny. Among the most notable of these scientists is Greg Paul, who has gained fame for his unique and antiestablishmentarian "secondary flightless" hypothesis. This hypothesis, including many of its most technical aspects, is detailed brilliantly in Paul's new book, Dinosaurs of the Air.
It is difficult to sum up this volume in mere words. Perhaps this difficulty arises from the fact that, unlike Paul, I have next to no artistic talents. Lucky for me, though, Paul doesn't have to fall back on words to convey his hypothesis. He uses meticulously detailed illustrations and skeletal reconstructions-hundreds of them. Many of the best are included in Dinosaurs of the Air.
Paul uses these illustrations to accompany and elaborate on a well-crafted text that leaves the reader feeling like an expert. He begins by discussing a history of avian evolutionary hypotheses and then proceeds to describe the anatomy of dinosaurs and birds. After a brief discussion on feathers, Paul then focuses on the evolution and purpose of flight. Following this is a section on the lifestyle of Archaeopteryx, which, in turn, is proceeded by a detailed look at the evolutionary history of birds. Included is a rebuttal to send to any of your friends who deny the relationship between dinosaurs and birds.
After the opening exposition, Paul finally delves into his unique hypothesis of secondary flightlessness, or, basically, that some familiar groups of dinosaurs (dromaeosaurs, troodontids, and oviraptorosaurs among them) are not bird ancestors or cousins, but actually bona fide birds that, for some reason or another, lost the ability to fly. The evidence is still out on this issue, but Paul's illustrations and arguments make his hypothesis difficult to discount.
It's tough to compare books, even if they are penned by the same author. Regardless, it will be difficult for anyone, except for possibly the small minority that continues to feverishly disagree with the dinosaur-bird link, to relegate Paul's latest work to "second place" behind Predatory Dinosaurs of the World. Dinosaurs of the Air is, like its predecessor, among the finest and most impressive dinosaur books ever published. It belongs on the bookshelf of any serious student of dinosaurs, or anyone with an avocational interest in beautiful art.
© 2000 brusatte@theramp.net