Smithsonian Books Releases "Giants of the Lost World"

Account of South American Prehistoric Beasts Available Oct. 4
September 29, 2016
News Release
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Book cover showing dinosaurs

Smithsonian Books’ Giants of the Lost World: Dinosaurs and Other Extinct Monsters of South America by Donald R. Prothero will be available starting Oct. 4. The book explores the evolution, biology and discovery of the gigantic dinosaurs and other creatures that once roamed South America. The creatures range from the earliest known dinosaur, the Eoraptor, to the largest animal ever discovered, the huge sauropod dinosaur Argentinosaurus. Prothero tells of the gigantic anacondas that broke reptile records, the possums that evolved into huge saber-toothed predators and the ground sloths that grew larger than elephants in this strange unknown land.

Prothero presents the scientific details about each of these prehistoric beasts, provides a picture of the ancient landscapes they once roamed and includes the stories of the individuals who first discovered their fossils. Giants of the Lost World presents the South American continent’s astonishing history as a land where many fantastic and fascinating beasts have evolved, thrived and died out.

About the Author

Donald R. Prothero specializes in physics, planetary sciences, astronomy, earth sciences, and vertebrate paleontology. He taught for 35 years at the college level at Columbia, Knox, Pierce and Vassar Colleges, most recently as professor of geology at Occidental College, and lecturer in geobiology at the California Institute of Technology. He has authored or edited more than 30 books and 300 scientific papers.

About the Book

Title: Giants of the Lost World
Author: Donald R. Prothero
On-Sale Date: 10/4/2016
Price: $27.95 / Pages: 192
ISBN: 978-1-58834-573-8
Smithsonian Books

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SI-492-2016