An Archosaurian Adventure: Integrating the Evolutionary History and Paleoecological Context of the Dinosaurs

Abstract

There are many creatures that capture our imaginationand spark our interest in the evolutionary history of life,but few are as compelling as the great rulers of theMesozoic, the dinosaurs. Many books are available tothe avid student of these extinct icons of evolution,ranging from the encyclopedic (Currie and Padian 1997)to the specific (Carpenter 2000), but few tell the story ofthe ecological stage upon which the dinosaurs danced aswell as Scott D. Sampson.Dinosaur Odyssey: Fossil Threads in the Web of LifeLike many good storytellers, Sampson has firsthandknowledge of his subject. He starts with a personalaccount of an expedition to the island of Madagascar(chapter 1). Throughout the narrative, Sampson weavesa delicate tapestry that includes observations of modernecology, diversity, and environment and links thosethreads to the distant past. In this manner, the reader istakenthrougha worldofintricaterelationshipsdemonstratingthe importance and function of the often-overlooked playersof the dinosaurian stage. All of the players, whether microbeor Monolophosaurus, are given their time in the spotlight,providing a contextual framework that makes the dinosaurodyssey all the more fascinating.Imagine three stories, one of climate, geography, andevolution, a second composed of hidden faunal playersand other ecological components (think poop, soil, worms,insects, and bacteria), and the last featuring the stars of theshow: dinosaurs. The three storylines are integral to oneanother, and the book is written so that each successivestory incorporates componentsof previous chapters.In moreways than one, the interwoven organization of Sampson’sbook mirrors the natural world it attempts to portray.The first third of the book (chapters 1–6) takes a broadapproach to understanding biological complexities and con-tingencies throughout Earth’s dynamic history. The reader istaken on a journey that explores paleoclimate, tectonics,global nutrient cycling, and the importance of the trophicpyramid in paleoecology. Along the journey, the functionalrole of primary producers who convert sunlight into aneffective ecological currency is further investigated, alongwith characteristics that define what a dinosaur is (andisn’t!). Sampson smoothly discusses evolutionary theorythrough several guided examples that relate ecology anddinosaurs to the fundamental concepts of natural selection.The middle third of the book (chapters 7–11) begins totruly delve into the details surrounding the environment,anatomy, and physiology of several major groups of dino-saurs and their supporting ecological cast. In this section,Sampson further weaves together various strands of thenatural world, such as the flow of energy from plants toherbivores to carnivores and back through a myriad ofinteractions and processes. This portion of the book alsoincludes a wonderful discussion of dinosaur behavior andbiology, including feeding mechanics, metabolism andgrowth, hunting, and reproduction.By this point, the reader has toured multiple ecologicalfacets of the prehistoric world, from plants harnessing thesun’s energy to higher up the trophic ladder, through thedigestive tract of a carnivorous dinosaur and out the otherend, only to be recycled once more. The last third of thebook (chapters 12–15) pulls all of these strands togetheruntil the reader sees a completed picture of the rulers of