This is an essential introduction to the age of the dinosaurs, featuring a directory of more than fifty of the most important prehistoric creatures. It covers all the well-known dinosaur discoveries from North America, South America, China, Mongolia, Europe, South Africa, Egypt and Morocco are here, including Allosaurus, Spinosaurus, Oviraptor, Tyrannosaurus, Diplodocus, Iguanodon, Stegosaurus and Chasmosaurus. It explores how dinosaurs lived, moved, hunted, socialized and raised their young, and offers a full explanation of the theories surrounding their extinction. It is written by expert palaeontologist Dougal Dixon, whose other books include After Man, The New Dinosaurs and The Children's Giant Book of Dinosaurs. For 180 million years dinosaurs ruled the Earth, evolving to become some of the largest and deadliest creatures our planet has ever known. This fascinating volume contains profiles of fifty of the best-known dinosaurs, detailing the body shape, size and lifestyle of each one, the period of time in which it existed and where fossil records have been found. The animals are shown in detailed illustrations based upon the latest scientific understanding. This lively book will appeal to anyone who is fascinated by the amazing world of the dinosaurs.