Flying Dinosaurs: How Fearsome Reptiles Became Birds

Feathered dinosaur fossils discovered in China during the twentieth century reveal that these creatures were far more bird-like than paleontologists had previously believed. Evidence from bones, genetics, eggs, and behavior demonstrates a continuous transition from fleet-footed carnivores to the ancestors of modern birds. John Pickrell combines detailed portraits with recent fossil discoveries and interviews with leading paleontologists from the United States, China, Europe, and Australia to explain how dinosaurs developed flight. This ability gave animals new capabilities and allowed some species to survive a mass extinction event that killed thousands of other dinosaur species. Pickrell also examines the stories surrounding these discoveries, including the role of the Chinese black market in fossil trading, disputes among dinosaur hunters, government interference in protecting scientific information, and competition to publish findings first in this rapidly evolving field of research.