Peter wellnhoffers the illustrated encyclopedia of pterosaurs 1991 is regarded by some including myself as the best of all such books, and david unwins the pterosaurs. My technical research is focused on pterosaurs mesozoic flying reptiles but my artwork has introduced me to a wide array of different fossil animals that are just as interesting. Mark witton, and the place to buy highquality prints of my artwork. Natural history, evolution, anatomy was published by princeton university press to critical acclaim. I last really looked at pterosaurs some 30 years ago, when as a fossilobsessed young teen, i haunted the paleontology section of the australian museum in sydney. The most authoritative illustrated book on flying reptiles availablefo. I now make a living as a technical consultant on palaeontological documentaries, palaeoartist, graphic designer and author. Pterosaurs by mark witton pterosaurs dominated the skies during the time of the dinosaurs. Pterosaurs book palaeontological art and consultancy. This is a substantial update on a scene from my 20 pterosaur book.
Mark wittons pterosaur book gives the reader the current up to date info on these fascinating flying creatures. If so, youll have been excited and intrigued by one of 20s best tetrapodthemed books. Witton is a coffeetable size book rich in detail and lavishly illustrated. Mark p witton good pterosaur fossils are rare because, in life, their bones were expanded by air sacs to enhance their size and therefore wingspans without adding mass.
For 150 million years, the skies didnt belong to birdsthey belonged to the pterosaurs. Oh and the one thing i forgot to talk about during the video involved is about pterosaur. A disclaimer i should mention upfront is that mark and i are longstanding friends and colleagues. The most authoritative illustrated book on flying reptiles availablefor 150 million years, the skies didnt belong to birdsthey belonged to the. Witton demolishes old myths about the pterosaurs, such as the myth that pterosaurs were primarily seabird analogues, the myth that pterosaurs were poor flyers, and the myth that pterosaurs were outcompeted by birds. Mark witton s pterosaur book gives the reader the current up to date info on these fascinating flying creatures. However, this new publication, written by palaeontologist and science writer mark witton entitled pterosaurs goes. Here, a 6 m wingpsan lower cretaceous pterosaur, ornithocheirus simus, demonstrates the. In pterosaurs, authorpaleontologist mark p witton has written what is probably one of the most comprehensive treatment of these unique animals to date. Dear mark witton palaeoart i cannot find your gallery in. Mark witton s pterosaurs, an enormous, lavishly illustrated encyclopedia of all things pterosaur. This richly illustrated book takes an unprecedented look at these astonishing creatures, presenting the latest findings on their anatomy, ecology, and extinction.
For the latest updates, check out my blog and twitter feed. If youre truly invested in learning about pterosaurs, wittons book is a. Witton is a paleontologist in the school of earth and environmental sciences at the university of portsmouth. The major pterosaur bauplans of the species currently known. Mark witton dr mark witton is a palaeontologist and palaeoartist, affiliated with the university of portsmouth, uk. Witton is a pterosaur expert at the school of earh and. Despite 220 years of study, flying reptiles have received little attention from the popular press. Pterosaurs likely took off from water as they did from land. Pterosaur trace fossils martin lockley and jerry harris 7. Its of small significance in this field of three modern pterosaur books. His illustrations of pterosaurs, dinosaurs, and other prehistoric creatures have appeared in numerous publications, including science and newspapers around the. A beautiful and detailed book, but that is to be expected from mark witton.
Pterosaur palaeobiogeography paul upchurch, richard butler, brian andres and paul barrett 8. The most authoritative illustrated book on flying reptiles available. The 2017 version of my collection of palaeoartworks. When mark witton set out to write a book on pterosaurs, it must have been a daunting prospect to match the quality of older. Only seven years passing between this book and the last, but the differences. Posted oct 02, 2014 by todd simmons for the staten island advance. Its great to see these creatures depicted as animals instead of movie monsters, including my favorite depictions of triceratops, pelorosaurus, quetzalcoatlus, and troodon. The tremendous power of their winged forelimbs would enable them to take off with ease. Mark paul witton is a british vertebrate palaeontologist, author, and palaeoartist best known for his research and illustrations concerning pterosaurs, the extinct flying reptiles. Why pterosaurs werent so scary after all science the. Online home of freelance palaeoartist, consultant and palaeontological researcher dr. Only three truly comprehensive, popular books dedicated to pterosaurs have been published in this time, and only one this century, meaning much of the recent pterosaur renaissance the current surge in pterosaur discoveries and research beginning in the late 1980s remains untold outside of. Pterosaurs features some 200 stunning illustrations, including original paintings by mark witton and photos of rarely seen fossils. He is currently writing and illustrating a sequel to charles knights life through the ages.
He has served as a technical consultant for walking with dinosaurs 3d and many other film and television productions. Mark wittons the palaeoartists handbook tetrapod zoology. Witton is the most authoritative illustrated book on pterosaurs, aka flying reptiles, available. His illustrations of pterosaurs, dinosaurs, and other prehistoric creatures have appeared in numerous publications, including science and newspapers. A great book about those famous extinct flying reptile by mark p. They were remarkably diverse creatures, from the size of a sparrow to giants as tall as a giraffe, and were by far the largest creatures ever to fly. Pterosaurs is, of course, more up to date than either of these books. The book doesnt shy away from technical terminology witton is exact in his use of pterosaur names, osteological landmarks, and other scientific details but the book is written in a. Read 124 posts by mark witton and get access to exclusive content and experiences on the worlds largest membership platform for artists and creators. Natural history, evolution, anatomy i now know that practically everything the displays told me about pterosaurs, that they were incredibly light, fragile, clumsy creatures, walking on two legs, primitive in their evolutionary conception, were, while the wisdom of the time, entirely wrong. Pteranogeddon by mark witton from his book pterosaurs. Pterosaurs, published by princeton university press, is a criticallyacclaimed attempt to plug this obvious gap in popular scientific writing. Mark witton of the university of portsmouth and mike habib of johns hopkins university suggested that pterosaurs used a vaulting mechanism to obtain flight. Natural history, evolution, anatomy explores the anatomy, ecology and extinction of pterosaurs, in addition to being fully.