Over the last few decades our understanding of what Australia was like during the Mesozoic Era has changed radically. A rush of new fossil discoveries, together with cutting-edge analytical techniques, has created a much more detailed picture of ancient life and environments from the great southern continent.
Giant dinosaurs, bizarre sea monsters and some of the earliest ancestors of Australia's unique modern animals and plants all occur in rocks of Mesozoic age. Ancient geographical positioning of Australia close to the southern polar circle and mounting geological evidence for near freezing temperatures also make it one of the most unusual and globally significant sources of fossils from the age of dinosaurs.
This book provides a comprehensive overview of current research on Australian Mesozoic faunas and floras, with a balanced coverage of the many technical papers, conference abstracts and unpublished material housed in current collections.
Foreword
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
2. Setting the stage - the Mesozoic Era
3. Dawn of an era - life from the Triassic
4. Before the ocean - animals and plants of the Jurassic
5. The great inland sea - Australia in the early Cretaceous
6. Life on the shore - early Cretaceous non-marine animals and plants
7. After the ocean - life from the late Cretaceous
Glossary
Bibliography
Index