Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
** The ''Stegosaurus'' skeletal in the introduction has four pairs of tail spikes. This is because the ''Stegosaurus'' species ''S. ungulatus'' was originally described as having that number when originally published by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1879, but a 2001 study re-analyzed the fossils and concluded it only had two pairs, like the other ''Stegosaurus'' species, the much better known ''S. stenops''.
Changed line(s) 78 (click to see context) from:
** Plesiosaur classification is very simplistic, only containing the long-necked elasmosaurs and the short-necked pliosaurs. Ignoring that pliosaurs are now believed to have become extinct near the beginning of the Late Cretaceous, we know not all short-necked plesiosaurs were part of one group (the polycotylids had pliosaur-like builds but were probably more closely related to elasmosaurs, and all short necked plesiosaurs from the end of the Cretaceous were polycotylids). This simplistic classification of plesiosaurs by neck length was completely discarded by the 2000s, with elasmosaurs now considered a much more inclusive subgroup.
to:
** Plesiosaur classification is very simplistic, only containing the long-necked elasmosaurs and the short-necked pliosaurs. Ignoring that pliosaurs are now believed to have become extinct near the beginning of the Late Cretaceous, we know not all short-necked plesiosaurs were part of one group (the polycotylids had pliosaur-like builds but were probably more closely related to elasmosaurs, and all short necked plesiosaurs from the end of the Cretaceous were polycotylids). This simplistic classification of plesiosaurs by neck length was completely discarded by the 2000s, with elasmosaurs now considered a much more inclusive subgroup. Therefore, the "pliosaurs" in the book should actually be considered polycotylids.
Added DiffLines:
** The Pangaloon, an obvious pangolin analogue, is shown living in South America, and the Waspeater, an obvious anteater analogue, is shown living in Africa. This is a bit notable because most of the other real animal analogues also live where the real animal lives (there are a few other exceptions, but these are more noticeable due to the animals' ranges being swapped). This is likely because anteaters and pangolins used to be considered close relatives, but it's now known any similarities are due to convergent evolution (Dixon made the same mistake in this regard in ''After Man'' with the swimming anteater in Africa).
