The Macmillan illustrated encyclopedia of dinosaurs and prehistoric animals / Иллюстрированная энциклопедия динозавров и доисторических животных Макмиллана

If any proof were needed that the study of prehis-toric life is more than a matter of “old bones,” then this book provides it in ample measure. For here is a natural history of times past, featuring real creatures that lived, breathed, reproduced — then died forever. That they could be brought back to life in such convincing form is a credit to the painstaking scientific detective work of a team of paleontologists, writers and artists.
In embarking on this project, the first decision was which animals to select. The mighty and ever-popular dinosaurs were obvious candidates for inclusion in the portrait gallery of past life, but to recreate a truly comprehensive collection of prehistoric animals it was vital to add to them not only their reptile relatives but also representatives of all the other major groups of vertebrates, or animals with backbones. The result is a fascinating catalog of creatures, which includes the fishes of the past, many of them heavily armored with bony scales;  <...>