: The surprising evolutionary path of small, feathered dinosaurs that survived to become modern birds. Key Scientific Themes

: Brusatte emphasizes that we are currently in a "new golden age" of paleontology, with new species being named roughly once a week.

If you are using this for a book club or study group, consider these prompts:

: Specific focus is given to how certain traits—like the hollow bones and specialized lungs of sauropods or the feathers of raptors—allowed dinosaurs to succeed. Discussion & Study Guide Questions