How fast did T. rex run? Unsolved questions from the frontiers of dinosaur science

This book tackles a problem more serious than its title suggests. The text, too, is problematic--both blessed and cursed by preoccupation with minutiae. Hone (Queen Mary Univ. of London) rightly points out that supercomputing has made access to the literature easy, but also overwhelming. One stroke on the keyboard reveals a catch-22--too much to sort through. Yet unfortunately, the bibliography offered here is poorly executed, not a solution. That said, this work is a genuine addition to the literature on dinosaurs, particularly Tyrannosaurs, and should be read thoroughly by anyone with such interest. As Hone reflects, interest in dinosaurs, now fascinating to many, was originally sparked by the work of a single cleric in England. It has mushroomed to enormous popularity today, fueled in part by films that are enjoyed worldwide. Hone's approach to the existing literature is limited but interesting and useful. The illustrations--mainly photographic images of specimens--while not extensive, are excellent and well described. Although Hone attempts to answer the question posed in the title, the problem is not trivial, requiring understanding of the animal's prey as well as its size. Hone foresees that steady growth in the ranks of paleontology workers will likely result in ever more material coming to light, and invites young readers to join. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. --Francis W. Yow, emeritus, Kenyon College

Paleontologist Hone (The Tyrannosaur Chronicles) surveys what is known about dinosaurs and their world--and more excitingly, what people don't know and how they might figure it out. Discoveries in the last generation have reshaped the understanding of what dinosaurs looked like, how they went extinct, and how they may have interacted with their environment, and Hone is a wonderful guide to this progress. But ultimately this book is forward-looking, discussing where gaps exist in the collective knowledge, why these questions remain, and what it will take to answer them. By explaining how factors of timing, location, and environment determine what is ultimately preserved in the fossil record, he shows that individual specimens may be unrepresentative and lead researchers astray. Unearthing new fossils will be part of learning the dinosaurs' story certainly, but technological advances in biology, geology, and computing will allow paleontologists to go beyond the physical anatomy of dinosaur skeletons or the occasional preserved soft tissue and say more about the extinct animals' ecological, behavioral, and social lives. VERDICT An excellent book that shows the opportunities and potential of paleontology as a field for the intellectually curious scientist.--Wade Lee-Smith