An illustrated guide to the marvelously diverse bird life of the dinosaur age

Birds are today’s most diverse tetrapod group, but they have a rich and complex evolutionary history that extends far beyond their modern radiation. Appearing during the Jurassic more than 160 million years ago, they took to the skies and evolved into myriad forms. This comprehensive and up-to-date illustrated field guide covers the staggering diversity of avialans—modern birds and their closest fossil relatives—that lived from the origin of the group until the mass extinction that ended the reign of the nonavian dinosaurs 66 million years ago. With a foreword by eminent paleontologist Luis Chiappe, Birds of the Mesozoic is a must-have book for bird lovers and anyone interested in paleontology.

• Features more than 250 stunning full-color illustrations
• Covers more than 200 kinds of Mesozoic birds
• Detailed fact files provide information about each species, including its name, location, size, period, habitat, and general characteristics
• Traces the evolution of the group from other feathered dinosaurs to the emergence of modern birds in the Late Cretaceous
• Describes all facets of phylogenetic, morphological, and ecological diversity
• Introduces readers to bird skeletal anatomy and the cutting-edge methods that paleontologists use to reconstruct fossil bird color, diet, and biology
• Formatted like a field guide for birdwatching in the Mesozoic

"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year"
"This is the best and most accessible description of the evolutionary history of birds, the evolution of flight, and the ultimate resolution of the 'missing link' prophecy available."---G. C. Stevens, Choice
"Pictorially the book is a paradigm of sensory pleasure. To turn the pages to see ancient species for the first time is an exercise in wonder and delight, and everyone from novice birder to proficient ornithologist will be thrilled. . . . Juan Benito and Roc Olivé deserve our gratitude for this bold step forward."---David Gascoigne, Travels with Birds
"This book is a must-have for anyone with an interest in fossil birds!"---Ian Paulsen, The Birdbooker Report

Juan Benito is a vertebrate paleontologist and postdoctoral research associate at the University of Cambridge. Roc Olivé holds a degree in fine arts from the University of Barcelona and specializes in paleoart. He is the illustrator of several books on prehistoric fauna. Luis Chiappe is senior vice president of research and collections and director and curator of the Dinosaur Institute at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.