1 1

Ancient Sea Reptiles: Plesiosaurs, Ichthyosaurs, Mosasaurs, and More Spiral-Bound | February 28, 2023

Darren Naish

★★★★☆+ from Up to 30 ratings

$30.08 - Free Shipping
Dive into prehistoric waters and discover extraordinary sea monsters who reigned the ocean for 150 million years

Ancient Sea Reptiles: Plesiosaurs, Ichthyosaurs, Mosasaurs, and More examines the anatomy, behavior, diversity, lifestyle, and evolutionary rise of creatures who conquered the seas for 150 million years during the Mesozoic era. Expert paleontologist Darren Naish puts these fearsome and mighty creatures under the microscope and transports readers to wild and primeval waters. In this gorgeously illustrated book, amazing creatures leap off the page, including: 

  • Mosasaurs, known as “T-Rexes of the deep"
  • Cretaceous sea snakes
  • Long-necked plesiosaurs
  • Crocodile-like thalattosuchians, the earliest sea turtles
Ancient Sea Reptiles features fossil photography and artistic reconstructions of ancient creatures, from evolutionary anomalies to apex predators who survived extinction events, with chapters that include: 

Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Evolution
Chapter 3: Anatomy
Chapter 4: The lesser-known groups: mesosaurs, Triassicsauropterygians, Cretaceous sea snakes and more
Chapter 5: Shark-shaped reptiles: the ichthyosaurs and their kin
Chapter 6: Long necks, big mouths: the plesiosaurs
Chapter 7: Sea crocs: the thalattosuchians
Chapter 8: Mosasaurs: the great sea lizards
Chapter 9: Sea Turtles

More than 80 percent of the world’s vast ocean is unmapped and unobserved, prompting the imagination to run wild on what might lurk in its depths. But Ancient Sea Reptiles proves that what stirs the imagination even more are the spectacular prehistoric creatures that have already been discovered. The book is a feast for the eyes and the scientific mind.

Story Locale:The ocean
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Original Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 192 pages
ISBN-10: 1588347273
Item Weight: 1.9 lbs
Dimensions: 7.9 x 0.8 x 10.2 inches
Customer Reviews: 4 out of 5 stars Up to 30 ratings
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Paleontologist Naish (Dinopedia) delivers an entertaining survey of prehistoric marine reptiles. [...] Readers will appreciate Naish’s evenhanded treatment of scientific disputes, such as when he explains disagreements around whether rocks swallowed by plesiosaurs helped with buoyancy or digestion, and discusses divergent perspectives on how closely thalattosuchians are related to the ancestors of modern crocodiles. Vivid illustrations, diagrams, and photos of fossils provide further detail. The result is an invigorating blast from the past."

PREHISTORIC TIMES MAGAZINE
"Certainly a book to be celebrated [...] On top of up-to-date information, most every page includes amazing artwork or fossil photography. A great book to sit down and read and then keep close by for reference."

THE INQUISITIVE BIOLOGIST

 "Ancient Sea Reptiles is a richly illustrated introduction to their biology and taxonomic diversity that hits the sweet spot when it comes to scientific content, offering a substantive read. [...] There is simply no comparable book on the market and this should be your de facto starting point for reading deeper into the evolutionary history and biology of these amazing reptiles."


EVERYTHING DINOSAUR
“This is an extensively researched and most informative volume written in an easy to understand language that will please the academic and general reader alike. Ancient Sea Reptiles is highly recommended.”

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
"One of the things that sets Ancient Sea Reptiles apart from other books on the subject is Naish's ability to bring these creatures to life on the page. The book is filled with stunning illustrations and photographs that make it easy to imagine these animals in their prime. From the intricate skeletal diagrams to the vivid full-color illustrations, every page is a visual feast.
[...] Naish's writing is infused with enthusiasm and a genuine love for these creatures, making it easy to get swept up in the excitement of the subject matter. He also injects a sense of humor into his writing, making the book an enjoyable and entertaining read."
DARREN NAISH is a vertebrate paleontologist and research associate at the University of Southampton. He is the coauthor of Dinosaurs: How They Lived and Evolved.


Author Residence: Portsmouth, England