The little dinosaurs of Ghost Ranch

the long version

One of the strangest mysteries of the ancient past lies within a quarry in the American Southwest and concerns Coelophysis Bauri (Seel-O-Fise-Iss Bow-Ree), a carnivorous dinosaur that was no bigger than a large dog. More than a thousand fossilized remains of this animal have been found in a small area, and evidence suggests ten times that number may still be buried there. Why did so many of these little dinosaurs die in one place? Renowned paleontologist Edwin H. Colbert takes readers on a marvelous journey to search for answers in The Little Dinosaurs of Ghost Ranch. Colbert details the excavations that began nearly fifty years ago at Ghost Ranch, the quarry in Northern New Mexico where these fossils were discovered, and the 200-million-year-old prehistory of Coelophysis Bauri, an early predecessor of the giant dinosaurs with which most of us are familiar. Numerous photographs and illustrations, accompanied by George Colbert's detailed maps, chronicle the quest for the truth about Coelophysis. A color insert features the handsome panoramic paintings of Margaret Colbert, giving readers an excellent visual approximation of the prehistoric world.