The Tyrannosaur Chronicles: The Biology of the Tyrant Dinosaurs

Hone's "The Tyrannosaur Chronicles: The Biology of the Tyrant Dinosaurs" (henceforth TC) is mostly good, especially when it comes to describing key scientific concepts (E.g. Classification in Part 1). I say that b/c, unlike most of my positive reviews, this 1 is about TC's problems.1) The paleoart is seriously lacking: For 1, most of the illustrations (I.e. Hartman's skeletal reconstructions) are great, but too small for good comparisons; For another, said illustrations are few & far between (I.e. Most of the chapters have only 1 illustration, 3 at most, & 5 of them have none); For yet another, there's only 1 life reconstruction in TC's entirety (I.e. Hartman's T.rex). This is especially problematic because, according to Hone, TC is meant for casual readers, yet it's laid out more like an enthusiast's book (I.e. Mostly black-&-white pages with a series of color plates). To put this in perspective, Sampson's "Dinosaur Odyssey: Fossil Threads in the Web of Life" is an enthusiast's book of similar length & layout, yet it has at least 3 illustrations per chapter, more in most, including a multi-species scene by Skrepnick at the beginning of every chapter.2) The "scaly Tyrannosaurus" & "larger females" hypotheses are very misrepresented. Depending on the context, I don't mind if 1 or 2 non-major hypotheses are misrepresented once or twice.* My Riddle review shows what happens when many major hypotheses are misrepresented on many levels ( https://www.amazon.com/review/R47I7QPHDIHYD/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8 ). However, while not as major as "Birds Are Dinosaurs", "scaly Tyrannosaurus" & "larger females" do have major implications for tyrannosaur biology, among other things (See the Willoughby & Bakker quotes, respectively). In reference to the former, the evidence for it is "essentially" ignored, while "a liberal coating of feathers" is taken as a given. Yes, said evidence hadn't yet been described in detail, but it had been mentioned in the technical literature. In reference to the latter, the problem is more layered. See "Review update #45 (It's a big 1)!" for how: [link in the 1st comment]In short, I recommend reading TC in conjunction with 1) GSPaul's "The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs" for larger skeletal reconstructions & more life reconstructions, & 2) the Neal & Peter Larson chapters in Larson/Carpenter's "Tyrannosaurus rex, the Tyrant King" for more pre-TC info about T.rex skin & sexual dimorphism.*E.g. In Chapter 10, Hone claims that "Richard Owen...regarded dinosaurs as giant lizards" in terms of physiology. That's not right (Quoting Owen: "The Dinosaurs, having the same thoracic structure as the Crocodiles, may be concluded to have possessed a four-chambered heart; and, from their superior adaptation to terrestrial life, to have enjoyed the function of such a highly-organized centre of circulation to a degree more nearly approaching that which now characterizes the warm-blooded Vertebrata"). Also, in Chapter 14, Hone claims that "the discovery of multiple remains of the famous dromaeosaurid Deinonychus with bones of the ornithischian Tenontosaurus...is mostly the limit of the evidence in support of the [pack hunting large prey] hypothesis". Depending on what he means by "large prey", that's not right either (Google "Taphonomy and Paleobiological Implications of Tenontosaurus-Deinonychus Associations" & "Days of the Deinos" for the technical & popular versions, respectively).Quoting Willoughby ( https://www.amazon.com/review/R4VJXNM6VVEIV/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8 ): "Along a similar vein, Kenneth Carpenter (1997) has pointed out evidence of Gorgosaurus scale imprints that have been known for at least twenty years, but have never been formally published. Research can of course take many years to publish for a myriad of reasons, but it seems highly likely that had these imprints been of feathers, they'd been published almost immediately. It seems like there is something fundamentally wrong with a system that more readily publishes research that is exciting and interesting because it conforms so smoothly with the dominant paradigm, when conflicting research that challenges some of these established lines of thinking might ultimately result in a more robust and less flawed theory overall."Quoting Bakker (See "Raptor Red"): "Female dominance is a powerful piece of evidence that permits us to reconstruct the private lives of Cretaceous predatory dinosaurs. A family structure built around a large female is rare in meat-eating reptiles and mammals today, but it's the rule for one category of predatory species...carnivorous birds. Owls, hawks, and eagles have societies organized around female dominance, and we can think of tyrannosaurs and raptors as giant, ground-running eagles."

The Tyrannosaur Chronicles by David Hone was a book I looked forward to perusing. I can say with utmost certainty I was not disappointed. Here, in this book, is described every member of the tyrannosauroidea that is currently known up until 2014, (as the early tyrannosaur Timurlengia was not yet described at the time of publishing) including Lythronax and Yutyrannus. As such, it stands as an incredibly accurate look into the family that was presented to us with the discovery of Tyrannosaurus rex itself in 1903 and its naming in 1905. Within, we get a look into the family tree, the lifestyles, the biology, anatomy and ecology of the tyrannosaurs and their world. The book, while intricate and thorough, does not delve so deeply into the facts as to be of interest to only to the most hardcore of paleontology-based readers; no, instead, David Hone paints a picture understandable to anyone, from relative novices to the subject of dinosaurs to the greatest experts. Without a doubt, this book paints a clearer picture of tyrannosaurs and their world than perhaps most other books without becoming overly complicated and losing its audience. I must admit I also learned a few new facts in my delving into this book, including some insights into tyrannosaurid hunting strategies. I was also surprised by another fact; big things come in small packages... the book I expected to be larger. Instead, it is little larger than your average novel or the smaller books you might place on your coffee table, around 8.75x5.5 inches. Informative, intriguing, factual and well-written (with the only mistakes being a few errors in spelling that can be overlooked due to the fact that the mistakes were likely not noticed until after publishing), it is a must for any who love dinosaurs or simply wish to understand them. In full, The Tyrannosaur Chronicles is a book worthy to bear the title of being one of the best written and enthralling dinosaur books I have ever read thus far. My score for it is thus: a complete 10/10. Well worth buying by any means.

This is a "small footprint" book -- about 9 x 5.5 inches. That surprised me; I thought it was going to be a coffee-table book. If one is interested in dinosaurs, one almost has to read a new book every five years. This would be the book for 2016. So much changes, so fast. I won't repeat what all the other reviews have said. It's a 5-star book. I don't like bucket lists, but if I had a bucket list, a visit to the Judith River area in Montana and a visit to the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana, would be on the list. I can't imagine anyone seriously interested in this subject not having this book.

This is a fabulously interesting book for self-confirmed dinosaur nerds. Hone knows his bones, but he resists the temptation to get bogged down in technical minutiae, and keeps the book moving at an enjoyably fast clip. Hone tells a fine story of this fascinating group of creatures and brings them to life and even gives them personality. This is a book for aficionados, amateurs, and nerds alike. I hope that Hone will write more popular books because he clearly has a gift for communicating scientific discoveries.

I've always been a fan of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, and this book is an excellent source of information on the dinosaur.Find out about his anatomy, his way of life, his ancestors, and read about tons of new theories.Written in a scientific manner but with plenty of in book explanations for it's more difficult concepts.My only complaint is that there is a severe lack of anatomical drawings/sketches. The author spends entire chapters discussing the dinosaurs anatomy with utmost detail, but a lot of it is lost since you can't picture where that specific part is.

I found this very interesting, clearly laid out, absorbing stuff. The author takes a great deal of effort, successfully I believe, to lay out the scientific complexities; highlight facts, theories, supported deductions, all in a manner that is clear to those of us without a scientific background - and reaches a proper, mature balance that avoids any patronising over simplifications. I do agree with other reviewers that there could have been more sketches, especially where various bone structures or fossil interpretations were being explained. However, overall, a serious, intelligent, inclusive discussion that holds one’s interest - even in areas that could be very ‘dry’.This type of book should help advance ‘quality knowledge’ about dinosaurs amongst more general readers. For a brief period, I might even know more about the fascinating creatures than my son. Well worth a read.

A comprehensive, accurate and detailed overview of the Tyrannosaurs. Relatively easy to read. I especially liked the author's approach of arriving at conclusions with regard to what particular evidence there is available, i.e. the scientific approach instead of waltzing away on fantasy hypotheses, as seen in other literature on dinosaurs. My only criticism is with reference to the skeletal anatomy of Tyrannosaurs - these areas could have been better illustrated with a few pictures for those less knowledgable in vertebrate anatomy (one day there will be an Idiot's Guide to Vertebrate Anatomy, oh please, give me a good picture!). Also, there were several paragraphs with reference to particular fossils indicating Tyrannosaur behaviour, i.e. tooth marks on the skull indicating intra-specific conflict, scrape/bit marks on a hadrosaur femur indicating preferential feeding practice, etc. but sadly, there were no illustrations available. Overall though, a good read, recommend it to anyone with an interest in vertebrate paleontology.

Superb. Clear (which is not as easy as you might think) and fascinating. I would, however, have preferred more imagery - especially diagrams from multiple viewpoints rather than relying on the usual side view alone too much.

Not rad it yet,but I'll think its going to be good considering the authors.

Really interesting throughout. I loved reading it.

A rather convoluted opening, but the presentation improved as one progressed through the book. A satisfactory "read" overall.

A good introduction into the tyrannosaurs but can be rather dry at times

For "Paleontology Enthusiasts" who love reading about Dinosaurs, finding reading material can be challenging. On one hand, most books are aimed at a young audience and are effectively the same, going over well trodden territory over and over often with little attention paid to scientific accuracy in some cases. On the other hand, you have huge research papers you probably aren't qualified to read that can be a dull chore to slog through for up to date scientific information."The Tyrannosaur Chronicles" is a perfect book that rides the line of being approachable and engaging. An invaluable tome and a new standard. If it were up to me, I'd make sure that David Hone did a "Chronicle" for all the major Dinosaur families. (Abelisaur Chronicles? Stegosaur Chronicles? Yes please!)

Awesome book on Tyrannosaurus Rex.Highly recommended for all Dinosaurs lovers...!!!

Engrossed with the first 125 pages and couldn't put it down. This will no doubt become my go to reference for tyrannosaurs and is a fantastic addition to my library.

GRRRRR........GREAT!!!!!!!