The Color of Dinosaurs and the Prehistoric World

A marvellously illustrated look at the fossil evidence of colour in extinct life, from dinosaurs and mammoths to ancient insects and plants – revealing the amazing technologies and fossils that allow us to visualise the prehistoric world in more detail than ever.

The colours of dinosaurs and other extinct organisms are typically considered as being lost to time. Rare fossils, however, contain remnants of ancient pigments or structures that manipulated light to create colour, allowing scientists to make predictions about the hues and patterns of species extinct for millions of years. The study of such fossils, first collected centuries ago, has been revolutionised in recent decades as new technology has allowed for increasingly sophisticated assessments of colours in dinosaurs and other ancient reptiles, as well as fish, mammals, invertebrates, and even plants and microbes. This book explores the evolution of colour across billions of years of evolution, explaining how extinct colour palettes can be reconstructed as well as what details still elude us. Written and illustrated by one of the world's leading paleoartists, The Color of Dinosaurs and the Prehistoric World blends an artist's eye for nature with a palaeontologist's expertise to present prehistoric life as you have never seen it before.

- More than 150 illustrations, photographs, and graphics that showcase the amazing array of colour and pattern data found in the fossil record.
- Reconstructs extinct species and environments with the hues and tones predicted by paleontological science, showing the appearance of feathered and scaly dinosaurs, flying and swimming reptiles, ancient reefs, Ice Age mammals, the early days of Earth, and more.
- Reveals the diverse means used to predict ancient colouration, from analyses of ancient pigments to mapping the distribution of biological colour on evolutionary trees, and even using cave paintings to inform depictions of prehistoric mammals.
- Outlines the long history and modern science of paleocolor restoration and explores what reconstructing colour in ancient organisms tells us about ancient ecology and behaviour.
- Traces the brilliant diversity of colour of the modern natural world to its evolutionary roots.