Animals of ancient lands

Animals of ancient lands by Carroll Lane Fenton is a popular scientific publication written in the early 20th century. It surveys prehistoric life on land, explaining how amphibians evolved into diverse reptiles and dinosaurs, how reptiles returned to the sea, and how early birds arose, all interpreted from fossil evidence. The book opens with the first land vertebrates, describing Permian amphibians like Eryops and Diplocaulus and the rise of reptiles, notably the sail‑backed Dimetrodon (a powerful predator) and Edaphosaurus/Naosaurus (a spined, mollusk‑ and plant‑eater), with a discussion of fossil-rich Texas deltas and the debated purpose of their dorsal sails. It then sketches Mesozoic landscapes and plants before profiling dinosaurs in three broad groups: bipedal carnivores such as Allosaurus; gigantic, swamp‑wading sauropods like Brontosaurus, Diplodocus, and Brachiosaurus; and beaked herbivores including Triceratops and the armored Stegosaurus, noting their small brains, probable behaviors, and eventual extinction at the close of the Cretaceous. A chapter on marine life covers long‑necked Elasmosaurs, widespread Mosasaurs (with the famous Maestricht discovery), soaring pterosaurs, and large sea turtles, and suggests sea regression and “old age” hastened their decline. Turning to birds, it presents Archaeopteryx as the earliest known feathered form and the toothed, wing‑reduced Hesperornis as a superb diver, while explaining why bird fossils are scarce.

Animals of ancient lands, by Carroll Lane Fenton. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #78879.