The popularity of dinosaurs seems never ending, fuelled by films such as "Jurassic Park" and documentaries ("Walking with Dinosaurs"). But how much do these popular programmes really tell us about the recent scientific discoveries and the latest research into the world of the dinosaur? This is the first book explain the latest findings in dinosaur research and the exciting scientific discoveries that have built up a picture of how dinosaurs looked, what they ate, and how they moved and interacted with each other. Taking a new approach to the subject, David Norman combines many areas of science, such as anatomy, genetics, forensics and engineering design, to piece together the evidence of how animal life evolved on earth, and why it did in the way that it did. David Norman also discusses the role that informed speculation and luck has played in many of the major discoveries. Starting with ancient myths of dinosaur-like monsters (dragons) and the history of the discovery of dinosaurs, he goes on to discuss their evolution and the many different techniques used to understand them, including the latest virtual reality animation sequences and engineering design analysis.

戴维•诺曼，剑桥大学基督学院塞奇威克地球科学博物馆馆长，古脊椎动物学高级讲师。他致力于古生物学、解剖学和进化等领域的研究，已出版多部图书并获奖，包括《恐龙百科图解》、《恐龙！》等。

史立群，中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所编审，中国科学院自然科学期刊编辑研究会理事。长期从事《古脊椎动物学报》的编辑工作。已出版多部科普译著，包括《绝灭动物大全》、《鸟类》、《恐龙的奥秘》、《与野兽同行——史前探秘》、《完全恐龙宝典》等。