The Jehol Biota: The Emergence of Feathered Dinosaurs, Beaked Birds and Flowering Plants

Description:

Text English. A comprehensive, richly illustrated synthesis of one of the world’s most important fossil assemblages, the Jehol Biota, discovered in northeastern China, particularly western Liaoning Province and adjacent areas of Hebei Province and Inner Mongolia. Bringing together material otherwise scattered across specialist literature, it serves as the only single-volume reference dedicated to this extraordinary site and its fossils.

The opening chapters provide an accessible overview of the history of research, geological and biostratigraphic context, and the scientific importance of the Jehol deposits. Subsequent chapters, written by leading experts, examine individual organism groups in detail - from feathered dinosaurs, early birds, mammals, fishes, and pterosaurs to a wide diversity of plants and invertebrates - offering a full picture of a remarkably preserved Early Cretaceous ecosystem.

The book documents many landmark discoveries, including feathered and even four-winged dinosaurs, early beaked birds, primitive mammals, and some of the earliest flowering plants, alongside exceptionally preserved insects and other invertebrates. These fossils illuminate major evolutionary questions such as the origin of birds and flight, the evolution of feathers, the rise of angiosperms, and broader patterns of biodiversity, paleoecology, and paleoclimate.

Lavishly illustrated with nearly 280 figures - around 200 of them high-quality fossil photographs - along with detailed colour life reconstructions, the volume captures both the scientific significance and visual impact of the Jehol fossils. Intended for an educated readership, it is also a valuable reference for students and professionals in palaeontology, geology, and evolutionary biology.

Condition

4to (288x295mm), orig. boards. Vg in d/w (spine slightly faded).