Everything Dinosaur team members are looking forward to reading and then reviewing a new book by renowned author Professor David Bainbridge that charts the development of the science of palaeontology using classical and contemporary scientific illustrations.

"Palaeontology an Illustrated History"
The front cover of “Paleontology an Illustrated History” by David Bainbridge a comparative anatomist in the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Lavishly Illustrated

This lavishly illustrated volume, published by Princeton University Press: Princeton University Press examines how art and illustrators have informed both academia and the general public about fossil discoveries and scientific research. It is lavishly illustrated, the author providing a beautifully crafted examination of the art and science of palaeontology from the ancient Greek civilisation right up to the modern day with its techniques of three-dimensional modelling, computed tomography and scanning electron microscopy.

Neave Parker Megalosaurus.
The Neave Parker Megalosaurus illustration (1960) on a postcard available from the London Natural History Museum in the 1960s and 1970s.

The book “Paleontology an Illustrated History” highlights the contribution to palaeoart made by figures such as the English artist Neave Parker. Neave Parker created iconic images of dinosaurs in collaboration with the scientists at the British Museum (now the London Natural History Museum). The book looks at the contribution made to scientific illustration by artists such as Burian, Zallinger and Charles Knight.

It also includes full colour plates of stunning fossil discoveries as well as biographies of the palaeontologists who have helped shape our view of ancient lifeforms and ecosystems.

Team members at Everything Dinosaur are looking forward to reading this exciting book and providing a more detailed review.

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