Locked in Time: Animal Behavior Unearthed in 50 Extraordinary Fossils

Palaeontology - the study of the ancient life - is sometimes seen as a dry, dusty subject, and old-fashioned museums populated by fossils with little information other than their names and origin do little to dispel this image. Those of us who work in the field know that it is a dynamic, rapidly developing science which is expanding our knowledge and understanding of the rich and complex history of life on our planet rapidly as new finds are made and new techniques are developed to reveal their secrets.Palaeontology – and perhaps all science – tells us stories. Some of those stories are on an epic scale encompassing unimaginably long stretches of time and the accumulation of a vast number of the tiny changes which drive evolution and lead to the richness and diversity of life. Against this background it is easy to forget that every fossil, be it the mightiest dinosaur or any one of the millions upon millions of small shells which can be found in most rocks was once a living organism. Each one has a story to tell. Most of these stories are of a brief, uneventful life but some offer us a window into events which happened over a few weeks, days or even minutes millions of years ago.These exceptional fossils are the subject of this book and add more than just flesh to ancient bones. We can find out how animals behaved, moved, fed, hunted and reproduced. They tell of tragedies such as that of a solitary horseshoe crab crawling along a sea floor until it died, of a dinosaur parent protecting its nest of eggs and being engulfed by a sandstorm, of mammoths locked in combat and succumbing to their injuries and many more. There are tales of sex, of death, of disease and even farting – all part of the rich tapestry of life.The book is split into five chapters each covering a different aspect of the fossil record, such as sex, parental care, biting and feeding and so on. Dean gives background information such as where and when the fossil was found, what sort of world in lived in and goes from there to describe the specimen. He explains the evidence from which conclusions are reached and is careful to include alternative explanations for what can be seen. This is for me one of the most fascinating aspects of palaeontology, the detective work which reveals the unknown. The fossils themselves take centre stage, and some of them are spectacular. Dinsosaurs locked in combat, a huge fish with a smaller fish preserved in its belly, or an ichthyosaur giving birth. Others seem insignificant, but when subject to intense scrutiny reveal amazing stories. Faint traces on the surface of a piece of shale can be the remains of a predatory worm and its last meal. Bone fragments in a coprolite (fossil poo) shows how a predator was able to smach and swallow even the strongest bones of its prey.The book is illustrated by Bob Nicholls, an artist who is highly respected for the meticulous research and thought he gives to his images and who has worked closely with many palaeontologists. He has co-authored several scientific papers through such collaboration. The pictures are accurate and detailed and add life to descriptions of the animals.I’d recommend this book to anyone with an interest in fossils. Dean writes well, and explains clearly what can been seen as a rather intimidating subject. It that our modern science is no longer devoted to just collecting, describing and displaying fossils but a dynamic and ever-changing discipline.

What a fantastic book- a fascinating glimpse into the world of palaeontology, and not just dinosaur fossils (although there is plenty here for the dino enthusiast), but fossils of mammals, fish, even insects! Each chapter is about a particular fossil find, and they all have a clear explanation of their great significance to science and what thay have told us about the past (including some wonderful artists' impressions about how the moment caught in time might have looked). This is a book for adults and children. I'm currently reading selected chapters to my class of 9-11 year olds, who are loving it, but it is aimed as much at the adult reader.Dean Lomax's passion for the subject is infectious. It's mind-blowing stuff, and highly recommended!

The 50 essays in this book give an insight both in the ordinary life of extinct organisms, and in some extraordinary moments they had to face. Birth and fight, but also simply sitting down for a rest or bodily functions that don't end in coprolites...Every fossil is explained in a way that non-experts can easily understand. It's tone is factual and no-nonsense, but vibrant and with real respect and empathy for the unlucky beasts that met an untimely end, so we could learn a bit more about their life and behaviour. Actually, the book would make a great alternative to the usual 'bedtime stories'.You'll meet insects, mammals, fish, reptiles, and of course dinosaurs, although the role T.rex has to play might surprise you...

This was a really well written book, the author explained straight away what it wasn't - ie a fossils text book. It was a very enjoyable discussion of the behaviour that could be worked out from the evidence contained in selected fossils. The accompanying illustrations were beautifully drawn imagings of the behaviour. I know thius will be a book I will reread and probably sooner rather than later.

This is a fascinating and very readable book. It dropped a star for me because I was expecting (or hoping) there would be more examples of the excellent full-colour paleoart shown on the dust cover. Unfortunately the superb fighting Velociraptor and Protoceratops artwork on the cover is the only colour plate in the book.The paper quality could also be bit better. The individual pages are really thin and prone to curling.