Despite 220 years of study, flying reptiles have received little attention from the popular press. Only three truly comprehensive, popular books dedicated to pterosaurs have been published in this time, and only one this century, meaning much of the recent 'Pterosaur Renaissance' - the current surge in pterosaur discoveries and research beginning in the late 1980s - remains untold outside of the technical literature.
Pterosaurs, published by Princeton University Press, is a critically-acclaimed attempt to plug this obvious gap in popular scientific writing. Fully referenced and richly-illustrated, it documents pterosaur palaeobiology and diversity in a manner not attempted for over 30 years. Overviews of pterosaur evolution, anatomy, functional morphology and taxonomy are presented through 100,00 words and 200 illustrations spread across 26 chapters.
Chapter contents
Section 1: Pterosaur palaeobiology, a summary
1. Introduction to pterosaurs
2. A brief overview of pterosaur research history
3. Pterosaur origins
4. Pterosaur anatomy - Osteology
5. Pterosaur anatomy - Soft-tissues
6. Pterosaur locomotion - Flight (see excerpt, here)
7. Pterosaur locomotion - On the ground
8. Pterosaur palaeoecology
Section 2: Pterosaur diversity
An overview of all currently recognised pterosaur groups, including research history, palaeobiogeography, anatomical descriptions, locomotory abilities and specifics of palaeoecology.
9. Pterosaur evolution - an introduction
10. Basal pterosaurs and Dimorphodontidae
11. Anurognathidae
12. Campylognathoididae
13. Rhamphorhynchidae
14. Wukongopteridae
15. Istiodactylidae
16. Ornithocheiridae
17. Boreopteridae (sample chapter)
18. Pteranodontia
19. Ctenochasmatoidea
20. Dsungaripteroidea
21. Lonchodectidae
22. Tapejaridae
23. Thalassodromidae
24. Chaoyangopteridae
25. Azhdarchidae
Section 3: Epilogue
26. Pterosaur extinction
Pterosaurs: Illustrations and figures
Zhenyuanopterus photographs kindly provided by Lü Junchang.
29 full-page colour paintings of pterosaurs in their environment
Skeletal diagrams and colour life restorations of over 22 pterosaur species
Line-drawings of pterosaur fossils
Vector diagrams of pterosaur anatomy and trackways