Dinosaurs are not what you thought they were--or at least, they didn't look like you thought they did. In this new visual guide to the world of the dinosaurs, world-leading paleontologist Michael J. Benton shows how rapid advances in technology and amazing new fossil finds have changed the way we see these extinct beasts forever. Stunning new illustrations by paleoartist Bob Nicholls display the latest and most exciting scientific discoveries in vibrant color.

From Sinosauropteryx, the first dinosaur to have its color patterns identified--a ginger-and-white striped tail--by Benton's team at the University of Bristol in 2010, to recent research on the surprising mixed feathers and scales of Kulindadromeus, this is one of the first books to include this cutting-edge scientific research in paleontology.

Each chapter focuses on a particular extinct species, featuring a specially commissioned illustration that brings to life the latest scientific breakthroughs, with accompanying text exploring how paleontologists have determined new details, such as the patterns on skin and thecolors of feathers of animals that lived millions of years ago. This visual compendium surprises and challenges everything you thought you knew about what dinosaurs looked like and how they lived.