John R. Horner

A world-renowned paleontologist takes readers all over the globe to reveal a new science that trumps science fiction: how humans can re-create a dinosaur.In movies, in novels, in comic strips, and on television, weve all seen dinosaursor at least somebodys educated guess of what they would look like. But what if it were possible to build, or grow, a real dinosaur, without finding ancient DNA? Jack Horner, the scientist who advised Steven Spielberg on Jurassic Park, and a pioneer in bringing paleontology into the twenty-first century, teams up with the editor of The New York Times,/I>s Science Times section to reveal exactly whats in store.In the 1980s, Horner began using CAT scans to look inside fossilized dinosaur eggs, and he and his colleagues have been delving deeper ever since. At North Carolina State University, Mary Schweitzer has extracted fossil moleculesproteins that survived 68 million yearsfrom a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil excavated by Horner. These proteins show that T. rex and the modern chicken are kissing cousins. At McGill University, Hans Larsson is manipulating a chicken embryo to awaken the dinosaur within: starting by growing a tail and eventually prompting it to grow the forelimbs of a dinosaur. All of this is happening without changing a single gene.This incredible research is leading to discoveries and applications so profound theyre scary in the power they confer on humanity. How to Build a Dinosaur is a tour of the hot rocky deserts and air-conditioned laboratories at the forefront of this scientific revolution.

Contains an illustrated guide to the fossils found in Montana, including tips for collecting, an overview of Montana's geological history, and descriptions of various fossils that have been found, arranged by period.

Celebrated paleontologist Jack Horner examines the enormous impact dinosaurs have on our own lives, from block buster films like Jurassic Park and The Lost World (for which Horner was technical adviser) to his cutting-edge research on how dinosaurs evolved, which throws light on how all species - humans included - arise and die out. Dinosaur Lives also explores the deep emotional effects of the search for knowledge. Horner takes us with him into the field as he braves the elements (and an occasional flock of attacking pelicans) to uncover vast fossil beds that reveal the communal lives and deaths of dinosaurs. He shares the thrill of discovery, the subtler delight that comes with intellectual achievement, and the sadness that attends the death of his best friend and partner in countless digs. Horner then transports us from the timeless realm of fieldwork to the laboratory, where recent technological innovations - many pioneered by Horner - have transformed our understanding of how dinosaurs grew up, raised their young, socialized with their kin, survived environmental disasters, and evolved over the course of millions of years. Here he offers new evidence and arguments regarding the major dinosaur controversies of the day: Were they hot-blooded or cold-blooded? Did they give rise to modern birds? Were they decimated by a gigantic meteor 65 million years ago? Ultimately, he offers a provocative new way to think about life on Earth, including our own condition and fate.

Describes the discovery and excavation of the world's only complete Tyrannosaurus fossil in Montana, and what was learned from it.

1128 pages : 20 cm

Jacket subtitle: The search that unraveled the mystery of baby dinosaurs.

In the summer of 1990, the first nearly complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever found was excavated in the Montana badlands under the supervision of one of the world's leading dinosaur paleontologists, Dr. John Horner. That same year a second, even more complete, skeleton was found in South Dakota. Together these skeletons are yielding surprising new insights into the most famous of the dinosaurs. We know more today than ever before about the anatomy and behavior of T. rex, and about the world in which it lived. Among the surprising discoveries explained in this book are T. rex was a far sleeker carnivore than previously thought, perhaps weighing less than 6 1/2 tons, no more than a bull elephant; T. rex's principal habitat was forest, not swamp or plain; T. rex may have been warm blooded, and it may be that its body temperature cooled as it matured; T. rex's arms were shorter than previously thought, but even more powerful; and there appear to have been two forms of T. rex, perhaps male and female. The Complete T. rex is beautifully illustrated with reproductions of paintings by leading dinosaur artists, and photographs, including Dr. Horner's excavation and restoration of a T. rex skeleton. Written by a celebrated dinosaur scientist, this is the most complete and important account ever of the life and times of the king of dinosaurs.