Ecology and Behaviour of Mesozoic Reptiles Book

1. Classification

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Amphibians

1.3 Reptiles

1.4 Note on Colouration

2. Diversification of Palaeozoic Reptiles

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Continental Drift

2.3 Reptilian Ancestors

2.4 Anapsid Reptiles

2.5 Synapsid Reptiles

3. The Mesozoic Environment

3.1 Introduction

3.2 The Triassic Period

3.3 The Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods

4. Amphibious Mesozoic Reptiles

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Locomotion

4.3 Testudines

4.4 Placodonts and Nothosaurs

4.5 Thalattosaurs, Mosasaurs and Other Sea Lizards

4.6 Champsosaurs, Phytosaurs and Crocodilians

5. Plesiosaurs and Ichthyosaurs

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Swimming

5.3 Plesiosaurs

5.4 Ichthyosaurs

6. Aerial Mesozoic Reptiles

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Gliding Reptiles

6.3 Pterosaur Flight

6.4 Locomotion on the Ground

6.5 Rhamphorynchoids

6.6 Pterodactyloids

6.7 Life styles

6.8 Extinction

6.9 Summary

7. Terrestrial Mesozoic Reptiles

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Quadrupedal Locomotion

7.3 Bipedal Locomotion

7.4 Weight and Size Limits

7.5 Physiology

7.6 Tachymetabolism

7.7 Brachymetabolic Thermoregulation

7.8 Hair and Feathers

7.9 Conclusions

8. Therapsids, Anapsids and Early Diapsids

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Therapsids and the Origin of Mammals

8.3 Anapsids

8.4 Early Diapsids

9. The Dinosaurs: Weapons, Display and Reproduction

9.1 The Earliest Dinosaurs

9.2 Dinosaur Weapons

9.3 Reproduction

10. Herbivorous Dinosaurs

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Teeth, Gastroliths and Digestion

10.3 Basal Sauropodomorphs – Prosauropods

10.4 Sauropods

10.5 Herbivorous Bipeds

10.6 Horned, Plated and Armoured Dinosaurs

11. Carnivorous Dinosaurs

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Dentition

11.3 Ceratosaurs

11.4 Carnosaurs

11.5 The Origin of Birds

12. The Cretaceous Extinction

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Terminal Mesozoic Events

12.3 Dinosaur Extinction: Improbable Hypotheses

12.4 Catastrophic Hypotheses

12.5 Gradualist Hypotheses

12.6 Conclusion

Epilogue

Bibliography

Subject Index