Mesozoic Media

Life through the Ages II: Twenty-First Century Visions of Prehistory (Life of the Past) by Mark P. Witton, Hardcover: 166 pages, ISBN-10 : 0253048117, ISBN-13 : 978-0253048110, Indiana University Press; Illustrated Edition. Paleontologist (and paleoartist) Dr. Mark P. Witton draws on the latest discoveries to re-create the appearances and lifestyles of extinct species, the environments they inhabited, and the challenges they faced living on an ever-changing planet. A worthy successor to Charles Knight's beloved 1946 classic, Life through the Ages II takes us on another, more modern journey through the evolution of life on Earth.

-  Mike Fredericks

Of course the book includes many of Witton’s interesting color illustrations and finely researched, accompanying commentary. They showcase the succession of lost worlds, defining events, and ancient creatures that have appeared since the earth was formed, creating an attractive guide to explore what came before us. Witton’s book starts back before the Silurian era through the Mesozoic periods, and up to the age of extinct birds and mammals. Every other page has a full page painting on it with a complete description on the facing page. Certainly a fine idea for a Christmas present for armchair paleontologists of the world.

The Illustrated Dinosaur Encyclopedia: A Visual Who's Who of Prehistoric Life by Barry Cox, R. J. G. Savage, Brian Gardiner, Colin Harrison, Hardcover – Illustrated: 312 pages, ISBN-10 : 0785838279, ISBN-13 : 978-0785838272, Chartwell Books; The Illustrated Dinosaur Encyclopedia is a fine reference work distinguished by its beautiful art becoming an illustrated who's who of prehistoric life and a source book of more than 500 million years of evolution on Earth.

With entries for more than 600 species, each arranged in its evolutionary sequence, this book presents a great panorama of diversity, from predatory dinosaurs to primitive amphibians, from giant armored fish to woolly mammoths, saber-tooth cats, and dire wolves. Each entry features a specially commissioned full-color painting apparently in close collaboration with world renowned paleontologists.