Weird Dinosaurs: The Strange new fossils challenging everything we thought we knew

by John Pickrell

We’re in a golden age of discovery – and the fossils coming to light show dinosaurs were stranger, bigger, scarier and more diverse than we ever imagined.

From outback Australia to the Gobi Desert and the savanna of Madagascar, award-winning science writer John Pickrell sets out on a world tour of new discoveries and meets the fossil hunters leading the charge. Discover the dwarf dinosaurs unearthed by an eccentric Transylvanian baron, an aquatic, crocodile-snouted carnivore bigger than T. rex, the Chinese dinosaur with wings like a bat, and a Patagonian sauropod so enormous it was heavier than two commercial jet airliners.

Why did dinosaurs grow so huge? Did they all have feathers? And what do sauropods have in common with 1950s vacuum cleaners? Weird Dinosaurs examines the latest breakthroughs and new technologies radically transforming our understanding of the distant past.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Dinosaurs, Palaeontology, Animals, Biology, Nature

326 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2016

About the author

John Pickrell is an award-winning journalist and the editor of Australian Geographic magazine. He has worked in London, Washington DC and Sydney for publications including New Scientist, Science, Science News and Cosmos. John’s articles can also be found online and in print at BBC Wildlife, National Geographic, Scientific American and the ABC. He has been a finalist in the Australian Museum’s Eureka prizes three times, won an Earth Journalism Award and featured in The Best Australian Science Writing anthology in 2011 and 2014. John studied biology at Imperial College in the UK and has a Master of Science in taxonomy and biodiversity from London’s Natural History Museum.

Reviews

[Always Pouting · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was interesting but I was kind of disappointed, I thought it would spend more time talking about the finds rather than the scientists and the field of paleontology. I felt like the author spent way too much time talking about the people who were doing the research but I don't care what they did to get the bones I just want to know about the dinosaurs. Also the descriptions were really dry and he didn't bother explaining anything for people who may not be familiar with dinosaurs. If he was just going to tell me how big the dinosaurs are maybe five some kind of comparison because people don't really have an idea off the top of their heads how much 19 tons is or pictures would work also. I just wish the author began the book off with some sort of introduction into paleontology so we had some clue about the dinosaurs they kept referencing through out and so then we could actually see why the feathers or bat wing type dinosaurs were actually weird because that doesn't sound that strange to me. Could've been a lot better, there was potential, but I'm sure someone who knows more about dinosaurs than I do might enjoy it more.

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received to review via Netgalley; publication date 7th March 2017

Weird Dinosaurs is a fun and reasonably accessible look at some of the more unusual dinosaurs discovered (or sometimes rediscovered) in recent years. Perhaps they’re not that unusual if you follow dinosaur news — I certainly wasn’t that surprised by some of these — but it is an interesting summary of some of the latest in dinosaur news. Despite what you might think, there are still loads of dinosaurs being discovered, and this book really emphasises the possibilities out there. It’s quite likely we’ve barely scratched the surface. The dinosaurs we’ve found are most likely the really common ones, which would be more likely to be preserved long enough to fossilise. So there’s all kinds of weird wonders out there.

If you’re interested in dinosaurs, I think this is a worthwhile read. It covers dinosaurs with feathers and what kinds of dinosaurs we might expect to find with feathers; habitats where we haven’t always believed dinosaurs could survive, like the Arctic; dinosaurs with unusual morphology which we can’t quite figure out. It’s a good survey for the layperson, though sometimes I felt it got a little bit dry and wandering as it went into background details.

Favourite thing about this book: probably the history of the Transylvanian gay spy baron who nearly became king of Albania. Let’s not forget Franz Nopcsa.

Originally posted on my blog.

[Susan Paxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this more than I did. Pickrell has a killer subject - the flood of diverse and often bizarre new dinosaur fossils being turned up by researchers all over the world, from China to Madagascar to Antarctica, and he's knowledgeable and writes well and clearly. And there are individual chapters that shine (the one featuring Baron Nopcsa - a very odd and colorful man who, it turns out, was often prescient in his research - in particular). Overall, though, the book reads like a series of popular magazine articles, with far too many direct quotes and relatively little analysis. Typos of the sort a spell checker misses can be found here and there; the typeface was particularly badly chosen particularly as the quotation marks are very faint and hard to pick out, making me go back again and again to see if the author was talking or if it was a quote. High points include the variety of the locales and fossils, the timeliness of the subject, the illustrations, and the notes, which will be very useful for those who want to look at the primary sources. Overall an OK book with a good topic, but I expected more from a major university press.

[Shrike58 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been meaning to read this book for awhile, and that might be the one problem here, as, having been published in the middle of the last decade, I have the sense that this work is just on the edge of becoming dated. Take the image of "Spinosaurus" on the cover, which being a large aquatic predator is certainly a poster child for what constitutes "weird" in regards to dinosaurs, However, there is a brisk argument going on since the mid-2010s over just how aquatic this animal really was; though Pickrell is certainly aware that it just takes one good fossil to wreck all your theories.

Be that as it may, Pickrell tries to pick his journalistic anecdotes with an eye to illustrating what are still mostly new trends, mostly relating to the surprising environments dinosauria was managing to thrive in, and the recognition that such is the overlap between the characteristics of birds and many dinosaurs that they're essentially part of the same family of animals. Still worth reading.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Dinosaurs so much

[Darrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second of John Pickrell's books I have read, the first being Flying Dinosaurs: How Fearsome Reptiles Became Birds. Weird Dinosaurs is very good and is a well put together overview of the many current digs and the odd and surprising dinosaurs that have been discovered.

Is it any surprise really? They were around for millions of years and, just like every other animal on earth, they evolved and adapted to and for the environments of their times. The distribution of fossil dinosaurs revealed in this book ranges from Siberia to Patagonia to Madagascar and the Antarctic. There is a new golden age of fossil finds and dinosaur research that is really expanding our knowledge.

Pickrell, as a science writer, crafts an interesting book for the layman reader or even for someone like myself, who has been reading about dinosaurs for 40 years. I just can't help myself, I have at least a shelf's worth of books just about dinosaurs ranging from college-level texts to popular science books by paleontologists like Jack Horner, Robert Bakker and more. Some childhood fascinations just don't go away.

[Florian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked that this book didn't only focus on the dinosaurs. Those where there, of course, but what's more the focal point of this book is the scientific discovery. Why do we know what we know about the dinosaurs? Where do we even find the fossils? Why there and not somewhere else?
Those are all central questions in this answered in this book along with many dinosaurs that are weird indeed.
I really enjoyed the book, even if parts went on for too long, while others fell short in the long run. I would've liked even more about finding out what dinosaurs ate for example or about how fossils opalise, but ultimately, it was a fun read.

[Cade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Really readable and well written...I’d love it forever just for informing me about the queer Transylvanian Paleontologist :-). More later on my channel

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’re in a golden age of discovery – and the fossils coming to light show dinosaurs were stranger, bigger, scarier and more diverse than we ever imagined.

From outback Australia to the Gobi Desert and the savanna of Madagascar, award-winning science writer John Pickrell sets out on a world tour of new discoveries and meets the fossil hunters leading the charge. Discover the dwarf dinosaurs unearthed by an eccentric Transylvanian baron, an aquatic, crocodile-snouted carnivore bigger than T. rex, the Chinese dinosaur with wings like a bat, and a Patagonian sauropod so enormous it was heavier than two commercial jet airliners.

Why did dinosaurs grow so huge? Did they all have feathers? And what do sauropods have in common with 1950s vacuum cleaners? Weird Dinosaurs examines the latest breakthroughs and new technologies radically transforming our understanding of the distant past.

My rating:4.5
What did I think
First off I want to say that this would have been a five star read for me if it had 2 things and they are:
1: how to say the dinosaur's name
2: the mean of said name.
Other than that I loved it ,but then again I love reading anything that talks about dinosaurs ,so if you love to read about them and learn about them then you need to pick this one up and add it to your collection, I know I will be , there was so much information about some.of the old ones and about new findings that made this book amazing to read. With that said I would love to say thinks to Netgalley for giving me a chance at reading this and for finding another amazing dinosaur book to add to my collection, in a change for my honest opinion which this is.can't wait for it to come.out to buy.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Book for Dinosaur-Lovers!

Wow, I really liked this book! In "Weird Dinosaurs", John Pickerel presents an easily-digestible summary of recent and paradigm shifting-discoveries in dinosaur paleontology. If you are a fan of dinosaurs, you would be aware of most of these creatures (such as the "new-look" Spinosaurus, or the complete Deinocherus) from disparate references seen across media and the internet, but it's really helpful to have them all brought together in one volume. I especially appreciated the clear and simple overview of what's currently known (and not known) about the extent of feathering in dinosaurs; and his summary of the ecology of dinosaurs in the unique - and fantastic - polar forest environments of the Mesozoic.

The focus of each chapter is the contemporary dinosaur science being done in different geographical regions. So as well as the well-known work being done in places like China and North America, we also get to explore the fascinating discoveries being made in less publicized dinosaur locales such as Siberia, Madagascar, Argentina and the Australian outback. The chapter on paleontology in Antarctica was particularly fascinating. I really enjoyed how this approach not only allowed the reader to indulge in a bit of "armchair travelling", but how it also emphasized the human diversity of contemporary paleontology - especially since dinosaur books with a more historical perspective tend to create something of an (inadvertent) impression that all the really important work on dinosaurs was done years ago in North America and Britain. The book reminds us in a very accessible and non-preachy way that good science is done across a diversity of cultures and nationalities - there are even some very important comments highlighting the significance and increasing contribution of female scientists in paleontology.

The chapters can be read independently of each other, which I greatly appreciated, as it made the book very easy to "dip into" on a causal basis. I found the prose to be easy-to-read, accessible and engaging. This is popular science writing, with a little bit of travelogue blended in - readers should not be expecting a textbook, and though there are a few nice plates, the focus is very much on text rather than illustrations. Perhaps the best aspect of the book was its clear focus on contemporary paleontology - thus the book doesn’t feel the need to weigh itself down explaining general background like the geological timescale, the theory of evolution, or how Richard Owen coined the name "dinosaur", etc. This stuff is important, to be sure, but if you are sufficiently motivated to read a book about dinosaurs, it's ten-to-one that you know this stuff already! It also allows the author to deftly avoid the old cliches that are interesting at first reading, but that tend to crop up monotonously in every dinosaur book ever written - the "Bone Wars" between March and Cope, was T. rex a scavenger, what killed the dinosaurs, etc. In summary, this was an informative, well-written and entertaining read that I highly recommend for anyone with an enthusiasm for the subject. It is a book for dinosaur lovers, written by a dinosaur lover.

[Lewis Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

not only regular dinosaurs, but weird dinosaurs! australia, pls make paleontology a thing bcs hot damn its just the best goddamn field

[Robert Kenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which provided some of the latest information on dinosaur research and fossil discoveries. It would have been nice if there were more pictures included (there are some, but not as many as one might expect, considering the fact that it spends a lot of time discussing species that are unknown to the general public).

[em sky-walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I picked this book up solely for the chapter on nopsca, which was awesome. I like that this book talked not just about the science but also the history behind the discoveries. My only complaint is that I have problems picturing some of the things he was discussing, so I’d have liked the pictures to be spread out throughout the book (and more of them for that matter).

[Brendan McKee · Rating 4 out of 5]

You want cool facts about weird dinosaurs written in an approachable manner? This is the book for you!

[Dale Lehman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been a fan of dinosaurs since I was in grade school. A lot has changed since then. This book is one more attempt to bring us up to date on the rapidly evolving (heh) field of Mesozoic paleontology. Unfortunately, I didn't find it quite as weird and wonderful as the title implies. I think the author might have tried to cram too much into too little space, with the result that it felt to me like a whirlwind tour of unfamiliar territory, which leaves one with the sense that the territory is still unfamiliar.

I will grant that I wasn't reading it at the best of times. Due to various personal factors, I may not have brought enough focus to the work. Or maybe the work intentionally assumed more detailed knowledge of the field than I currently have. Nevertheless, sometimes it felt like Pickrell was pelting me with Latin names without explaining the creatures to which they are attached.

Mind you, there are probably people out there who will get a lot out of this book, and some passages do present the promised weird and wonderful. So if you're into dinosaurs, you may well want to have a look.

[Laura Koerber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I keep buying these dinosaur books, hoping to escape into the fantastic and terrifying world of mega-lizards as an antidote to contemporary life. Mostly I end up bored. The reality is that scientists just don't know the stuff about dinosaurs that interests me. I want to imagine them going about their daily lives, eating, pro-creating, maybe migrating, maybe making nests etc. How did they hunt? How did those gigantic veggie eaters sleep? DId they remain standing by lay their heads on the ground? Sadly, it seems that scientists just don't know that much about the daily life activities of dinosaurs. Most dinosaur books are lengthy and tiresomely repetitive descriptions of fossils. This species is distinguishable from that by this bone. This bone indicates that they had a common ancestor. Etc. It's like reading the begats in the Bible, but with six or seven pages for each begat.
However, this book delivers to the readers some awesomely strange creatures. The text is livened with narratives about explorers and scientist--many of whom were pretty strange themselves. SO it's a livelier dinosaur than most and written with lay readers in mind.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many interesting and fascinating dinosaurs out there that need to be learned about. This book focuses on just that. John Pickrell's weird dinosaurs talks about many different weird dinosaurs in different countries. One effective element is how the author tells about each dinosaur listed. He says the features, statistics, and where the dinosaur lived for each dinosaur to give an understanding of what the dinosaur looked like and did. Another literary element is how the author explained about each paleontologist. Pickrell explains about what the paleontologists did and what they did to discover the dinosaur. Another effective literary element is the variety between the dinosaurs. The dinosaurs are all different and have different adaptations than others. In conclusion, this book has information about many different types of dinosaurs. People who like dinosaurs or paleontology will love this book. Thanks for reading.

[Andrew Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books is a brilliant overview of the current state of dinosaur palaeontology. There are many parts of encountered before such as the parts on Spinosaurus, but there was plenty I had never encountered before.

I do feel at times that it feels like it lacks detail. But given the breadth of material it’s not surprising.

I would highly recommend picking this books up if you are even slightly interested in dinosaurs and how scientists go about finding them.

I’d also note that the illustrations on the book are brilliant though I would have spread them through out the book a bit more. Obviously though the cost of inserting colour folios into a book is a barrier to this.

[Les Hopper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't be put off by the title, this is an excellent dinosaur book!

Part travelogue, part detailed summary of recent research, the book covers some little known dinosaurs - although I wouldn't personally class them as "weird".

If you've kept up with dinosaur research over the past decade or two, even if only via headlines at popular science articles, then some of the content will be familiar to you already, but the added context is excellent.

Overall the book left me wanting to pull out my old palaeo kit and head for the nearest outcrop, which is about the best compliment I can think of for a book like this.

Recommended!

[Chris Jaffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but one I had trouble getting into.

It's divided up into chapters (duh) - each one focusing on a different location where major archeological digs have occurred in recent decades. Short version: the amount we know about dinosaurs has gone up dramatically as we get more knowledge about different places they lived, different variations from region to region, et al. He notes that dinosaurs were around for 150 million years or so, but it's not clear that any individual dinosaur specie lasted more than a few million years.

[Dave Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting read.

My favourite #Paleontology books bring to life #fossils and the folk who seek, dig and interpret them. This book puts meat on the bones on some recent and unusual finds arranged by continent. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The colour pictures are great and the index and references thorough but, and this is general to a lot of non fiction ebooks,I'd love to have them right there embedded in the text rather than at the end.
Weird #Dinosaurs @john_pickrel

[thebookiereviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I’ve always fascinated by Dinosaurs and to find a book that talked about the new discoveries was a no brainer, I had to get it. I was so glad it did not disappoint me! It tells about the latest expeditions, what it is new and what changed. And it changed a lot.
If you feel enthralled by this subject then this book it’s absolutely for you.

Disclaimer: I got a copy from netgalley for my honest review.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but ultimately disappointing. I wanted more scientific detail. There were numerous editing errors- missed or extra words, mostly- that were distracting.

I was a bit tickled to see a professor from my alma mater make an appearance, especially since I remember reading about his dinosaur discoveries as a student (one of his Antarctic expedition took place while I was in college)

[Michael Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative and accessible summary of recent fossil discoveries from all over the globe, each revealing or confirming exciting developments that expand our shifting knowledge of dinosaurs. Pickrell's writing is very easy to read and digest, and he's already directly influenced my list of further reading to learn more about specific finds and topics discussed within this book's pages.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting book! While the 'weird' dinosaurs are fascinating (so many different species I had not previously known about) just as captivating are the stories of the paleontologists themselves, their lives and the stories of how they made their discoveries.

This is a well-written and accessible book that anyone interested in paleontology and/or dinosaurs will find engrossing.

[P · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little dry but very comprehensive. I've always loved dinosaurs and it was nice as a definitive look at recent (as in within the 25 years elapsing since I was obsessed with dinosaurs!) discoveries that really change our perception of them.

[Laura Madsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not necessarily focusing on “weird” dinosaurs (all dinosaurs are delightfully weird), but rather focusing on some of the really cool recent dinosaur discoveries in places like Alaska, Patagonia, Madagascar, and Antarctica.

[Jennifer Nash · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the book was okay. It wasn't a really good book for people who don't know a lot about dinosaurs to begin with. Not got pretty technical. Also, the author should have included more pictures. The few pictures and illustrations where on 16 pages in the middle of the book.

[Kimberly Edwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and it is a good update to the dinosaur history. Feathered velociraptors were most interesting, and the illustrations are good. I usually have several books going at once.

[Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like to read about how and when fossils where found. So I think it's a good read. Although I preferred his previous book.