{"title":"Books by Michael J. Benton","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780500295533","title":"The Dinosaurs Rediscovered","description":"If you want to know how we know what we know about dinosaurs, read this book! Steve Brusatte  'I defy anyone who is, like me, a non-scientist to read it and not feel a sense of wonder’ Tom Holland, Guardian Startling new fossil finds are the lifeblood of modern palaeobiology. Giant sauropod dinosaur skeletons from Patagonia, dinosaurs with feathers from China, and even a tiny dinosaur tail in Burmese amber – complete down to every detail of its filament-like feathers, skin, bones and mummified tail muscles – inspire awe in a global audience enthralled by the idea of these great creatures walking the earth. Dinosaurs are of perennial interest to all ages, as illustrated by the huge range of dino-themed films, books and live attractions, from the enduring popularity of the Jurassic Park franchise to the success of London’s immersive ‘Dinosaurs in the Wild’ experience. In the past twenty years, dinosaur study has changed from natural history to testable science. New technologies have revealed secrets locked in the bones in a way nobody predicted – we can now work out the colour of dinosaurs, their bite forces, speeds and parental care as well as how they came to die out.This groundbreaking book illustrates how science has replaced speculation and how our understanding of dinosaurs and their world hascompletely changed. The subject has never been so vigorous, has never changed so fast, and has never been so attractive to so many.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43201772814514,"sku":"9780500295533","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780500295533_eb17873d-802c-4a62-8d7b-441626242300.jpg?v=1786014152"},{"product_id":"9780500298046","title":"Dinosaurs","description":"Dinosaurs are not what you thought they were—or at least, they didn’t look like you thought they did. In this new visual guide to the world of the dinosaurs, world-leading paleontologist Michael J. Benton shows how rapid advances in technology and amazing new fossil finds have changed the way we see these extinct beasts forever. Stunning new illustrations by paleoartist Bob Nicholls display the latest and most exciting scientific discoveries in vibrant color.SinosauropteryxKulindadromeusEach chapter focuses on a particular extinct species, featuring a specially commissioned illustration that brings to life the latest scientific breakthroughs, with accompanying text exploring how paleontologists have determined new details, such as the patterns on skin and thecolors of feathers of animals that lived millions of years ago. This visual compendium surprises and challenges everything you thought you knew about what dinosaurs looked like and how they lived.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54926517993845,"sku":"9780500298046","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780500298046_a52f01fe-2855-446d-ba5a-112fa39815fd.jpg?v=1786013488"},{"product_id":"9780500298633","title":"Extinctions","description":"A journey through the great mass-extinction events that have shaped our Earth: 'Deeply informed and readable' Nature  In this vast sweep of our Earth’s history, Michael Benton brings the deep past to life as never before. Deploying the cutting-edge tools in biology, chemistry, physics and geology that are transforming our understanding of previous environmental cataclysms – including the incredible new discovery of a hitherto unknown extinction event – he uncovers not only their lethal effects but also the processes that brought about such large-scale destruction.     Beginning with the oldest extinction, Benton investigates the Late Ordovician, which set the evolution of the first animals on an entirely new course; the late Devonian, brought on by global warming; the cataclysmic End-Permian, which wiped out over 90 per cent of all life on Earth; and, book-ending the age of the dinosaurs, the newly discovered Carnian Pluvial Event and the End-Cretaceous asteroid. He examines how global warming, acid rain, ocean acidification, erupting volcanoes and meteorite impact have affected conditions on Earth, the drastic consequences for global ecology, and how life in turn survived, adapted and evolved.     This expert retelling of scientific breakthroughs allows us to link long-ago upheavals to our modern crises. As today’s climate scientists and political leaders grapple to understand these processes and our planet enters the sixth great extinction, these insights from the past may hold the key to survival.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55897304170869,"sku":"9780500298633","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780500298633_84cf6a7c-66d4-4f3d-a443-dc13c4e990eb.jpg?v=1786013523"},{"product_id":"9780500291931","title":"When Life Nearly Died","description":"The greatest mass extinction in Earth’s history happened some 251 million years ago. In this cataclysm at least 90% of life was killed, both on land and in the sea, almost bringing evolution to a halt. What caused destruction on such an unimaginable scale? Was it the impact of a huge meteorite, or prolonged volcanic eruption in Siberia? In this acclaimed book, now updated to include the most recent research and findings, Michael Benton assembles all the evidence and gives his verdict.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56290445721973,"sku":"9780500291931","price":22.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780500291931_591d8bbe-9bb5-41e9-86ab-9b2cea9bbf93.jpg?v=1786013989"},{"product_id":"9781394195084","title":"Vertebrate Palaeontology","description":"All-new edition of the world’s leading vertebrate palaeontology textbook, now addressing key evolutionary transitions and ecological drivers for vertebrate evolution Richly illustrated with colour illustrations of the key species and cladograms of all major vertebrate taxa, Vertebrate Palaeontology provides a complete account of the evolution of vertebrates, including macroevolutionary trends and drivers that have shaped their organs and body plans, key transitions such as terrestrialization, endothermy, flight and impacts of mass extinctions on biodiversity and ecological drivers behind the origin of chordates and vertebrates, their limbs, jaws, feathers, and hairs. This revised and updated fifth edition features numerous recent examples of breakthrough discoveries in line with the current macroevolutionary approach in palaeontology research, such as the evolutionary drivers that have shaped vertebrate development. Didactical features have been enhanced and include new functional and developmental feature spreads, key questions, and extensive references to useful websites. Written by a leading academic in the field, Vertebrate Palaeontology discusses topics such as: Palaeozoic fishes, including Cambrian vertebrates, placoderms (‘armour-plated monsters’), Pan-Chondrichthyes such as sharks and rays, and Osteichthyes (‘bony fishes’) The first tetrapods, covering problems of life on land, diversity of Carboniferous tetrapods and temnospondyls and reptiliomorphs following the Carboniferous Mesozoic reptiles, such as Testudinata (turtles), Crocodylomorpha, Pterosauria, Dinosauria, great sea dragons and Lepidosauria (lizards and snakes) Mammals of the southern and northern hemispheres, covering Xenarthra (sloths, anteaters), Afrotheria (African mammals), Laurasiatheria (bats, ungulates, carnivores), and Euarchontoglires (rodents, primates) A highly comprehensive and completely up-to-date reference on vertebrate evolution, Vertebrate Palaeontology is an ideal learning aid for palaeontology courses in biology and geology departments. The text is also highly valuable to enthusiasts who want to experience the flavour of how modern research in the field is conducted.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298100654453,"sku":"9781394195084","price":58.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781394195084_c8e7d978-94a9-44ab-9de2-1980aa10132a.jpg?v=1786018652"},{"product_id":"9780198950080","title":"The History of Life","description":"Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring There are few stories more remarkable than the evolution of life on earth. Where did humans come from? Where did life come from? New fields of study, such as molecular biology and astrobiology, are shedding remarkable new light on the origin of life and the origin of sex.In this Very Short Introduction Michael J. Benton covers all the main fossil groups including dinosaurs, and the upheavals such as mass extinctions that have beset our planet and life on Earth. Benton highlights the key episodes in the evolution of life from its origin over some four billion years, to the 10 million or more species today. The book ends with a consideration of humans themselves, with our ability to modify the Earth in ways that no other species has ever done, and the consequences of that power.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56420488380789,"sku":"9780198950080","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780198950080_e99f1a6d-00a1-48c3-9b57-354c0917c6c5.jpg?v=1786033328"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-michael-j-benton.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}