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A review by dgildag
Dinozaury odkryte na nowo. Jak rewolucja naukowa rewiduje historię by Michael J. Benton
4.0
Dinosaurs Rediscovered offers an overview of the latest techniques being implemented in paleontology, which are revealing dinosaurs to us in a new light - quite literally, considering new findings on the coloration of dinosaurs.
Despite its title claiming the "rediscovery" of dinosaurs, I was disappointed in the conservative view Benton adopted on some of the latests hypotheses in dinosaur paleobiology. In his defense, Benton is trying to portray paleontology as a qualitative, "hard science," in which hypotheses can be tested and replicated, and therefore remains hesitant to discuss less studied and more unconventional theories in the field. However, especially in areas of dinosaur study including intelligence, social behavior, and parental care, which have gained increased footing in recent years, Benton's reluctance to speak to or consider such topics prevents the book from truly embracing the scientific revolution it claims to discuss. This all comes as a surprise considering Benton is one of the leading researchers and a major voice in favor of study on dinosaur color - one of the most controversial fields of exploration in modern dinosaur study.
Although being published in 2019, the book already does feel somewhat dated. In particular, the discussion of dinosaur size fails to consider the titanosaurs, which included the largest dinosaurs. Some of the most outstanding members of this group were only discovered in 2017 and may not have been fully detailed at the time of the books composition, however, Benton does mention press coverage of "giant sauropod dinosaur skeletons from Patagonia," and includes books on his reading list which dedicate whole sections to these dinosaurs, so I am unsure of why he chose not to give greater discussion to these groups, especially when declaring the limits of size.
Still, Dinosaurs Rediscovered does provide a nice overview of the major developments in dinosaur science over the past few decades, supplying clear and easy to follow technical descriptions of the newest research techniques and giving the reader a glimpse of how science works in action. His writing style is accessible and engaging and excerpts of the book could easily be adopted for the classroom to introduce complex and fundamental scientific techniques to students in an exciting way.
Dinosaur Rediscovered is a nice introduction into modern techniques in dinosaur study, however, I recommend that the reader does not end their exploration here, continuing on to another recent book on dinosaur science, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steven Brusatte, which complements Benton's book well with a more narrative exploration of the field and further discussion on some of the most current and exciting discoveries in the dinosaur paleontology.
Despite its title claiming the "rediscovery" of dinosaurs, I was disappointed in the conservative view Benton adopted on some of the latests hypotheses in dinosaur paleobiology. In his defense, Benton is trying to portray paleontology as a qualitative, "hard science," in which hypotheses can be tested and replicated, and therefore remains hesitant to discuss less studied and more unconventional theories in the field. However, especially in areas of dinosaur study including intelligence, social behavior, and parental care, which have gained increased footing in recent years, Benton's reluctance to speak to or consider such topics prevents the book from truly embracing the scientific revolution it claims to discuss. This all comes as a surprise considering Benton is one of the leading researchers and a major voice in favor of study on dinosaur color - one of the most controversial fields of exploration in modern dinosaur study.
Although being published in 2019, the book already does feel somewhat dated. In particular, the discussion of dinosaur size fails to consider the titanosaurs, which included the largest dinosaurs. Some of the most outstanding members of this group were only discovered in 2017 and may not have been fully detailed at the time of the books composition, however, Benton does mention press coverage of "giant sauropod dinosaur skeletons from Patagonia," and includes books on his reading list which dedicate whole sections to these dinosaurs, so I am unsure of why he chose not to give greater discussion to these groups, especially when declaring the limits of size.
Still, Dinosaurs Rediscovered does provide a nice overview of the major developments in dinosaur science over the past few decades, supplying clear and easy to follow technical descriptions of the newest research techniques and giving the reader a glimpse of how science works in action. His writing style is accessible and engaging and excerpts of the book could easily be adopted for the classroom to introduce complex and fundamental scientific techniques to students in an exciting way.
Dinosaur Rediscovered is a nice introduction into modern techniques in dinosaur study, however, I recommend that the reader does not end their exploration here, continuing on to another recent book on dinosaur science, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steven Brusatte, which complements Benton's book well with a more narrative exploration of the field and further discussion on some of the most current and exciting discoveries in the dinosaur paleontology.