Welcome to the National Geographic Kids Dinosaur Atlas Blog Tour!
To celebrate the release of the National Geographic Kids Dinosaur Atlas on September 20th, come along on a blog tour that spans the continents as we showcase not only the most awesome dinosaurs, but also highlight the geography, environment, and climate that supported these ferocious, fascinating, and fabulous creatures. This is a blog tour to really sink your teeth into!
Asia
More dinosaur fossils have been found in Asia over the past few decades than on any other continent. During the Mesozoic era, the Asian deserts, plains, and mountains of today were covered in plants and swamps. As the land shifted, lakes and mountain ranges formed across East Asia. Dinosaurs roamed the region. Today, dry deserts and rocky mountains keep their fossils safe. More and more people are looking for fossils in Asia—and finding them!
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Dinosaur Nesting Ground
In 1976 in South Africa’s Golden Gate Highlands National Park, eggs were found with baby Massospondylus fossils inside. In 2006, paleontologists found 10 more groups of eggs. One group had at least 34 eggs! Massospondylus mothers raised babies here about 200 million years ago. That makes it the oldest known site where dinosaurs nested in groups. Back then, this area was near a lake. When it flooded, the eggs were covered with sediment and became fossils.
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WHEN: CRETACEOUS
In 1976, Thailand’s first dinosaur fossil was found—by accident! Geologists were searching the area for a metal called uranium when they came across a fossilized dinosaur knee bone. The place where it was found, Phu Wiang National Park, is now known as one of the world’s biggest dinosaur graveyards. Paleontologists have found fossils of many animals—from theropods to small crocodiles to mussels—in the Phu Wiang mountains. During the time of the dinosaurs, this northeastern part of Thailand was full of giant trees. A big group of rivers split the area into islands. Then, later in the Cretaceous period, it became a desert.
Microraptor was announced in 2003 by paleontologist Xu Xing. He has found more than 60 fossils in China. He has named more dinosaurs than any other paleontologist alive. That’s how he’s earned the nickname “China’s dinosaur king.” He spends his summers looking for fossils in western China.
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PHUWIANGOSAURUS (POO-WEE-ong-oh-SORE-us)
MEANING: “Phu Wiang lizard”
PERIOD: Early Cretaceous
Only a small part of this 50-foot (15.2-m) sauropod skeleton was found in 1982. But when paleontologists came back to the site in 1993 they found two more pieces of neck bones. These helped them figure out that this fossil was a very early titanosaur. In 1994, it was named Phuwiangosaurus. Later, in 2009, a much more complete Phuwiangosaurus was found nearby. It included parts of the skull. Now Phuwiangosaurus is Thailand's most complete fossil.
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When paleontologists find a fossil that doesn’t look like anything that’s been found before, they get to come up with a new name. Sometimes they use the name of the place where the fossil was found. Or they name the dinosaur after one of its unique body parts. Other times, they name it after a person. That’s how a name like Sirindhorna khoratensis came to be. The genus name uses Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s last name. The species name comes from the place the fossil was found: Khorat, in northeastern Thailand.
About the Book
With more than 75 prehistoric creatures featured, the National Geographic Kids Dinosaur Atlas takes readers on a tour of every dinosaur-inhabited continent, from Pangea to the modern day, revealing which creatures lived there, what their habitats were like and where dinosaur bones are being found today. Special sections introducing the dinosaur family tree, a prehistoric era timeline, the geography of the prehistoric globe, what happened to the dinosaurs, and a dinosaur dictionary (with phonetic pronunciations) are also included . Readers will find inspiration from profiles of diverse paleontologists from around the world.
The oversized hardcover format showcases stunning, full color dinosaur illustrations on every page and the custom-made, kid-friendly maps were created by National Geographic's legendary cartography and exploration experts. Vetted and curated by Dr. Steve Brusatte -- a paleontologist on faculty at the School of Geosciences at the University of Edinburg, a PhD recipient from Columbia University, and the science consultant for the Jurassic World franchise -- this atlas contains the most detailed and accurate information not only about dino "fan favorites" but also about the most recent dinosaur discoveries from less explored dig sites around the world.
For more fun information about dinosaurs, visit https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/prehistoric.
About the Creators
About the Expert Reviewer, Professor Steve Brusatte:
STEVE BRUSATTE, a paleontologist on the faculty of the School of GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, served as the expert reviewer for this atlas. He grew up in the midwestern United States and has a B.S. in Geophysical Sciences from the University of Chicago, M.Sc. in Paleobiology from the University of Bristol, and Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Columbia University in New York. He has written more than 150 peer-reviewed scientific papers during his 15 years of research in the field, named and described over a dozen new species of dinosaurs and mammals, and led groundbreaking studies on how dinosaurs rose to dominance and eventually went extinct, and were then replaced by mammals. Among his particular research interests are the evolutionary transition between dinosaurs and birds and the rise of placental mammals. He is also a noted specialist on the anatomy, genealogy, and evolution of the carnivorous dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor. His 2018 book, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, was a New York Times best seller, and he is the science consultant for the Jurassic World film franchise.
About the illustrator, Franco Tempesta:
Born in Milan, Italy, FRANCO TEMPESTA has loved drawing animals, dinosaurs and dragons since he was a child. Franco specializes in naturalistic illustration, and in the last twenty years has focused his attention on the realization of realistic images of dinosaurs and prehistoric animals. In April 2014 the Museum of Paleontology of Naples hosted a permanent exhibition dedicated to his illustrations of dinosaurs and in 2016 the Science Museum of Camerino hosted an exhibition of his paleo art.
GIVEAWAY
- Five (5) winners will receive a copy of National Geographic Kids Dinosaur Atlas (ARV $25)
- US/Canada only
- Ends 10/16 at 11:59pm ET
- Enter via the Rafflecopter below
- Visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!
Blog Tour Schedule:
October 3rd — Whirlwind of Surprises
October 4th — Nerdophiles
October 5th — Pragmatic Mom
October 6th — From the Mixed-Up Files... of Middle-Grade Authors
October 7th — Chat with Vera
Disclosure: Post information, links, and giveaway are provided by MMPublicity and National Geographic. This is a courtesy post.
My favorite Dinosaur is the dinosaur from the book"Danny and the Dinosaur." He is my favorite because, he was friendly and playful.
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ReplyDeleteBrachiosaurus is my favorite. It was one of the biggest dinosaurs and was a gentle giant.
ReplyDeletegreat great camerson loves t-rex and really all of them
ReplyDeleteI like the brontosaurus because they look pretty awesome.
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