Bernissart Dinosaurs and Early Cretaceous Terrestrial Ecosystems [Hardcover]

In 1878, the first complete dinosaur skeleton was discovered in a coal mine in Bernissart, Belgium. Iguanodon, first described by Gideon Mantell on the basis of fragments discovered in England in 1824, was initially reconstructed as an iguana-like reptile or a heavily built, horned quadruped. However, the Bernissart skeleton changed all that. The animal was displayed in an upright posture similar to a kangaroo, and later with its tail off the ground like the dinosaur we know of today. Focusing on the Bernissant discoveries, this book presents the latest research on Iguanodon and other denizens of the Cretaceous ecosystems of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Pascal Godefroit and contributors consider the Bernissart locality itself and the new research programs that are underway there. The book also presents a systematic revision of Iguanodon; new material from Spain, Romania, China, and Kazakhstan; studies of other Early Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems; and examinations of Cretaceous vertebrate faunas.

Although some of the chapters are more technical than others, the way in which [this book] is compiled offers a nice flow of information and can be used as a great reference for Early Cretaceous research. I would suggest this book to anyone who has not only an interest in vertebrate paleontology but also in geology. Well done!The discovery of complete and articulated skeletons of Iguanodon at Bernissart in 1878 revealed for the first time the anatomy of dinosaurs . . . [and] broke the scientific, and the dinosaur world wide open.[T]here is much to be delved into here, and dinosaur scholars will be especially well served by a swathe of welcome reviews of some lesser-known Cretaceous localities, and unexpected gems . . . This book warrants a place on the shelf of researchers interested in terrestrial ecosystems, especially dinosaurs, and is a good addition to the ongoing Life of the Past series from Indiana University Press.

Pascal Godefroit is Professor of Paleontololó'