Twelve thousand years ago two, adult bull, Columbian mammoths fought an epic duel on the Nebraskan plains. There was to be no winner, both animals died a slow and agonising death as their massive tusks became entangled and these behemoths could not separate. In 1962, surveyors discovered their tomb, the two combatants still locked together face to face. A remarkable fossil discovery providing an unprecedented insight into a single event that took place thousands of years ago. Dr Dean Lomax documents this astonishing fossil find in a new book that looks at fifty snapshots in deep time recording the lives and behaviours of animals etched into prehistory.

Stunning Illustrations by Bob Nicholls

Dr Dean Lomax (University of Manchester), examines some of the most extraordinary fossils ever found in five carefully crafted chapters. The book entitled “Locked in Time” provides an insight into the lives, activities and behaviours of long extinct creatures as revealed in a remarkable fossil record. Renowned palaeoartist Bob Nicholls provides the sumptuous illustrations that brings Dean’s narrative to life.

From Burrowing Giant Ground Sloths to Fighting Dinosaurs

From dinosaurs fighting to their deaths (as depicted on the front cover), the last ever journey of an ancient horseshoe crab, mating insects trapped in time, to giant burrowing ground sloths, this book takes readers on a global journey deep into our planet’s fascinating past. Aimed at the general reader, “Locked in Time” offers an unprecedented glimpse into the real-life behaviours of prehistoric animals.

Ten Years in the Making

“Locked in Time” takes the reader on a journey across continents and through millions of years of Earth’s history. It has been meticulously researched and Dr Lomax is a most eloquent and well-informed tour guide.

When asked what inspired him to compile such a fascinating insight into life in the past, Dean responded:

“I’ve spent more than a decade researching and writing Locked in Time, having been inspired by an incredible Jurassic fossil I first saw in 2008. My hope is that the book, and the fossils therein, will encourage you to look at fossils and prehistoric life with an entirely new perspective, helping to show that these once living, breathing animals were as real as you and me.”

Visit the website of Dr Dean Lomax: Dr Dean Lomax British Palaeontologist.

Published by Columbia University Press and priced at around £25.00, this book is highly recommended.

Find “Locked in Time” here: The Website of Columbia University Press.