Monday, April 27, 2009

Book Review: Paleobiology and Animal Behavior

Title: Super Crocs & Monster Wings: Modern Animals’ Ancient Past
Author: Claire Eamer
Publisher: Annick Press

I have read many books about ecology and animal behavior, but this is the first book I have come across that explains the behavior of animals of the past and present. It is children’s book about evolution, paleobiology and systematics. Paleobiology is a discipline related to paleontology but include a comparison of extinct, prehistoric organism to current, living organisms. When scientists come across a fossil, they begin a long, creative process of puzzle-solving, much like the scientists from Waking the Baby Mammoth. They usually compare the animal –its body, its behavior, and its habits – to living relatives and descendants. This trade book introduces readers to the ancient relatives of some of today’s common animals – crocodiles, dragonflies, birds, rodents, camels, armadillos, and of course elephants!
And the book includes many colorful pictures and fun facts to communicate to readers.
In chapter 5 – Size Isn’t Everything: Where Did All of the Giants Go?, the author discusses the possible reasons why the great Woolly Mammoths may have gone extinct. Ideal for students in grades 3-7.

So check out this book and the next airing of Waking the Baby Mammoth, Wednesday, April 29th, 8:00pm.

2 comments:

WhySharksMatter said...

Where did all the giants go? The largest animal to ever live, the blue whale, is still around.

People tend to ignore the oceans...it's sad.

Rick (Ratty) said...

Sounds like a great book, especially for children. I can remember thinking of these comparisons when I was a kid. A book like this would have been fun then.

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