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"Copyright 2003 Scientific American Inc. Prehistoric Beasts ScientificAmerican.com Exclusive Online Issue No. 6 Feathered dinosaurs, walking whales, killer kangaroos—these are but a few of the fantastic creatures that roamed the planet before the dawn of humans. For more than 200 years, scientists have studied fossil remnants of eons past, painstakingly piecing together the history of life on earth. Through their efforts, not only have long-extinct beasts come to light, but the origins of many modern animals have been revealed. In this exclusive online issue, Scientific American authors ponder some of the most exciting paleontological discoveries made in recent years. Gregory Erickson reexamines T. rex and reconstructs how the monster lived. Ryosuke Motani describes the reign of fishlike reptiles known as ichthyosaurs. Kevin Padian and Luis Chiappe trace today’s birds back to their carnivorous, bipedal dinosaur forebears. And Stephen Wroe presents the menacing relatives of Australia’s beloved pouched mammals. Other articles document the descent of whales from four-legged landlubbers and recount the challenges and rewards of leading fossil-collecting expeditions to uncharted locales. The Editors Table of Contents: Breathing Life into Tyrannosaurus rex By Gregory M. Erickson; Scientific American, September 1999 The Teeth of the Tyrannosaurs By William L. Abler; Scientific American, September 1999 Their teeth reveal aspects of their hunting and feeding habits. Madagascar’s Mesozoic Secrets By John J. Flynn and Andrée R. Wyss, Sidebar by Kate Wong; Scientific American, February 2002 The world’s fourth-largest island divulges fossils that could revolutionize scientific views on the origins of dinosaurs and mammals. Rulers of the Jurassic Seas By Ryosuke Motani; Scientific American, December 2000 Fish-shaped reptiles called ichthyosaurs reigned over the oceans for as long as dinosaurs roamed the land, but only recently have paleontologists discovered why these creatures were so successful. The Origin of Birds and Their Flight By Kevin Padian and Luis M. Chiappe; Scientific American, February 1998 Anatomical and aerodynamic analyses of fossils and living birds show that birds evolved from small, predatory dinosaurs that lived on the ground. The Mammals That Conquered the Seas By Kate Wong; Scientific American, May 2002 New fossils and DNA analyses elucidate the remarkable evolutionary history of whales. Killer Kangaroos and Other Murderous Marsupials By Stephen Wroe; Scientific American, May 1999 Australian mammals were not all as cute as koalas. Some were as ferocious as they were bizarre." Copyright 2003 Scientific American Inc. 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