Full Description
Over centuries, discoveries of fossil bones spawned legends of monsters such as giants and dragons. As the field of earth sciences matured during the 19th century, early fossilists gained understanding of prehistoric creatures such as Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops and Stegosaurus. This historical study examines how these genuine beasts morphed in the public imagination into mythical, powerful engines of destruction and harbingers of cataclysm, taking their place in popular culture, film, and literature as symbols of "lost worlds" where time stands still.
Contents
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction: Prehistoric Monster Reflections
ONE. Inventing the Prehistoric Monster
TWO. Great-Claw
THREE. Furred Fury: Exhumation of Incognitum, America's First Carnivorous Monster
FOUR. Behemoth and Leviathan—The Beauty of His Beasts
FIVE. Apish Antediluvia, or Darwin's Great Caveman Psych-Out!
SIX. Triumph of the Leapin' Lizards
SEVEN. Cretaceous Sanctuary
EIGHT. Rex Battles
NINE. Modern Prometheus
TEN. "And Their Lost Worlds"
Appendix. The Most Famous Prehistoric Monsters in Popular Culture
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
