The Rise and Fall of Dinosaurs

The Rise and Fall of Dinosaurs
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This is a past event

Join the Aberdeen Geological Society and 'Goodreads Choice Finalist', Dr. Steve Brusatte for this fascinating talk

Dinosaurs are icons of prehistory, and their evolutionary story is coming into increasing focus, as the modern, diversifying generation of palaeontologists discovers new species across the globe and uses new techniques to study dinosaur anatomy, biology, and behaviour.

In this talk, based upon his new book, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, Dr Brusatte will tell the story of dinosaur history, from their Triassic origins, through their Jurassic rise to dominance, and to the end-Cretaceous extinction of the non-avian species. He will highlight recent research that shows how dinosaurs evolved from humble cat-sized ancestors in the aftermath of the end-Permian extinction, gradually rose to dominance over 30+ million years of the Triassic, and became pre-eminent in the Jurassic, after the end-Triassic extinction. He will discuss how some species evolved colossal size, keen intelligence and neurosensory behaviours (as revealed by computed tomography scanning), and feathers, wings, and flight, before the non-avian species suddenly went extinct after the Chicxulub bolide impact, setting the stage for the Age of Mammals. He will also provide examples of recent fieldwork, statistical studies, and laboratory work that help piece together this story, including the work of his students and colleagues at the University of Edinburgh. 

Steve Brusatte is a paleontologist who hunts and writes about dinosaurs. He is on the faculty of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, but grew up in the Midwestern USA. Steve has travelled around the world digging up dinosaurs and, working with many international colleagues, has named more than 15 new species, including the tyrannosaur 'Pinocchio rex' (Qianzhousaurus) and the raptor Zhenyuanlong. He has written several books for kids and adults, most notably the adult pop science book The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs (2018), which was a New York Times bestseller in the USA, Sunday Times bestseller in the UK, and Globe & Mail bestseller in Canada. His work is covered often by the popular press and he has appeared on several television shows, such as the National Geographic extravaganza T. rex Autopsy, where he was part of the team that dissected a scientifically accurate life-sized model of a T. rex

There will be a Book Signing before the event at the entrance to Meston Lecture Theatre 1 at 5.30pm - 6.15pm. The lecture will start at 6.30pm.

This event is free, no booking required. 

Speaker
Dr. Steve Brusatte - University of Edinburgh
Venue
Meston Lecture Theatre 1
Contact

Please contact Marcus Duffy for more information. 

m.duffy@abdn.ac.uk