The age of reptiles (The World naturalist)

by Edwin H. Colbert

Book Overview

Amply illustrated review of astonishing creatures that ruled the earth for some 60 million years. Interrelationships between amphibians and reptiles, birds and mammals, more. Updated addendum. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0006BMRV8
• Release Date: January 1965
• Publisher: Norton
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A classic

Ed Colbert was one of the authors whose books introduced me to the wonders of Palaeontology back in the late 1960s and 70s. I had three of his books at the time - The Age of Reptiles, Dinosaurs, and Vertebrate Palaeontology, and this was my favourite one, giving me countless hours of reading pleasure and helping to nurture my lifelong fascination with teh epic history of life on Earth. Dr Colbert gives a very comprehensive yet at the same time very readable overview of the history of life from the Permian to the end of Cretaceous (essentially, the whole "age of reptiles"). The book is written in a non-technical manner, and as the other reviewer points out he doesn't just talk about dinosaurs, but describes other types of tetrapods as well, and these animals are just as interesting as dinosaurs. This is not a kids' book, but a work for the intelligent layperson. Admittedly it is true that it is dated in places. For example there have been revisions in stratigraphy, especially regarding the late Triassic and early Jurassic, in dinosaur biology (sauropods are now known to have been terrestrial like elephants), and in phylogeny (Colbert was writing before the paradigm shift to cladistics), but this is all part of the history of science, and from this perspective the book serves as a snapshot of what paleontologists new in the early 60s, although, obviously, a great deal of the book is still relevant today. And because of its accessible style of writing and comprehensive coverage it will always be a classic. In comparison, almost all contemporary books on prehistoric life you will find today on the market tend to be big on glossy pictures and small on content. The book is richly illustrated with line drawings (reconstructions of what the various animals may have looked like when alive) and stratigraphic (correlating rock strata) and biostratigraphic (range of animals in time) charts, and there are some nice photographic plates in the center, in which photos of fossil localities and paleontologists at work are juxtoposed with reconstructions of ancient ecosystems. Highly recommended for anyone who loves exploring palaeontology and the history of life on Earth.

Great Read

Very interesting description of reptiles from the earliest times into the dinosaurs. Colbert writes very well so he keeps your attention as he describes long ago vanished ecosystems. One nice thing is he pays alot of attention to all reptiles, not just dinosaurs that are basically the media favorite. The book is a relatively easy read good for the lay person interested in paleontology.