David Hone (1)

Uncovering Dinosaur Behaviour by David Hone is an examination of how dinosaur behaviour can be interpreted, how it’s been misinterpreted in the past, and how much is now known. He discusses the dangers of biases in interpretation, and the importance of basing any conclusions on a large pool of evidence rather than on one fossil, as well as the limits even then to what can be surmised about dinosaur behaviours. I will admit I wasn’t always able to fully understand the subject matter. This show more isn’t a book aimed at an amateur like me with an interest in, but only a limited knowledge of, dinosaurs. This is an in-depth look at the subject and Hone, who is a Palaeontologist, uses many technical terms.

Still, having said this, I will follow by saying. I found this book extremely interesting and definitely feel I learned quite a lot. Hone’s writing is clear, concise, objective, but also shows his passion for his subject and the importance of avoiding biases when trying to understand dinosaur behaviours.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Graham Mack who does an excellent job.

Thanks to Netgalley and HighBridge Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review show less

Tyrannosaurs are arguably the most studied dinosaur since the very first fossils of 'terrible lizards' began to pique human imaginations, and scientists now know (with relative confidence) enough about them to fill a 300-page book. One need not be an expert in paleontology to enjoy this read, only to have retained a childlike wonder that these amazing creatures ever existed at all. I look forward to a day when, as the wheels of research continue to turn, full-length books are possible about show more many other favorite prehistoric personalities. show less

A well-done work aimed at the advanced layperson interested in dinosaurs, presumably scientists from fields other than vertebrate paleontology and six-year-olds. Author David Hone covers taxonomy, including what makes something a tyrannosaur (short premaxilla, heterodont teeth, fused nasal bones, long metatarsals) followed by a list of the members of the clade Tyrannosauroidea. Further chapters cover evolutionary relationships with other dinosaurs, geographic distribution, details of show more skeletal structure, inferred physiology, and ecological relations with other Mesozoic animals. Hone weighs in on various paleontological debates (was Tyrannosaurus rex an active predator or a scavenger; is Nanotyrannus a juvenile T. rex or a different species). Illustrations include lots of skeletal drawings in the text and a photo section with plates of various museum specimens. References general works, technical papers, and blog sites. This is the best of the three books I’ve read on tyrannosaurs (The Complete T. rex, Tyrannosaurus rex, the Tyrant King) although it’s also the newest. show less

To a large degree I'm simply going to validate what the first reviewer said about this book in that the author does a fine job of explaining technical detail without being heavy-handed about it. This is besides giving the casual reader a good sense of the study of these creatures in historical perspective. I'll certainly be making it my business to be looking out for more of Hone's writing in the future.