Digging for Bird Dinosaurs: An Expedition to Madagascar (Scientists in the Field Series)

The extinction of dinosaurs some sixty-five million years ago is one of the greatest biological catastrophes in the history of our planet. Yet in recent years, paleontologists have turned up increasing evidence that ancestors of one group of dinosaurs still fly among us: birds. Join Cathy Forster, one of the few female paleontologists working today, on an expedition to Madagascar in search of clues to the mystery of bird evolution. Nic Bishop, who holds a doctorate in the biological sciences, is an award-winning author and photographer known for his outstanding stop-action wildlife photographs. He lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with his wife and a bevy of animals under study. The Five Owls To many people—not just children—the practice of science seems akin to magic, its wisdom accessible only to the few, its tools and techniques shrouded in mystery. This book, along with its mates in the Scientists in the Field series, not only go a long way toward letting some light and air into that musty myth but show that scientists bring hearts as well as brains to their work. Prizewinning nature photographer Nic Bishop follows Cathy Forster, a paleontologist studying birds and their ancestors, to fossil digs in Madagascar where only a few years before, she had identified a new species, Rahonavis—a hawk-sized flier related to Archaeopteryx but armed with vicious, Velociraptor-like claws. As Forster joins a group of scientists in assembling a trove of fossils, some the size of matchsticks, one so huge and heavy that eight men strain to lift it, readers will get a clear sense of how fossils are formed, found, shipped and studied. With his camera, Bishop shows the researchers and their local assistants crouching intently over rocky patches but also looks up from the work at hand to catch a chameleon tiptoeing across the campsite or the faces of a nearby village's children. Though the expedition lasts but a season, it leaves behind a legacy that, if all goes well, will endure: seeing that those children have no school, the expedition's leader opens a fund to provide one, and readers who wish to contribute will find instructions at the end. This book present science as exciting, worthwhile work, and from many young readers will spark a Hey, I could do that! reaction. 2000, Houghton Mifflin, $16.00. Ages 10 to 13. Reviewer: John Peters — The Five Owls,September/October 2000 (Vol. 15 No. 1) The story of Cathy Forster's experiences as a member of a team of paleontologists who went on an expedition to the island of Madagascar in 1998 to search for clues to the mystery of bird evolution. Here we see the labor of excavating, jacketing, and hauling out fossil finds and the hardships of camp life, as well as the rewards of discovery. Full-color photos. Young readers can witness firsthand the excavating, jacketing, and hauling of fossil discoveries as they follow Cathy Forster to Madagascar where she searches for evidence to unlock the mystery of bird evolution. 10,000 first printing. The Story Of Cathy Forster's Experiences As A Member Of A Team Of Paleontologists Who Went On An Expedition To The Island Of Madagascar In 1998 To Search For Fossil Birds. The story of Cathy Forster's experiences as a member of a team of paleontologists who went on an expedition to the island of Madagascar in 1998 in search for fossil birds