John Pickrell is an award-winning journalist and editor of Australian Geographic magazine. His writing delves into the natural world, characterized by meticulous research and engaging storytelling. Through his contributions to prominent global publications, Pickrell illuminates the intricacies of nature, underscoring its fragility and beauty. His work aims to foster a deeper appreciation for science and conservation among readers.
Award-winning science writer John Pickrell investigates the effects of the 2019-2020 bushfires on Australian wildlife and ecosystems. Journeying across the firegrounds, Pickrell explores the stories of creatures that escaped the flames, the wildlife workers who rescued them, and those on the front line of the climate catastrophe.
For first-time visitors here, Australia's wildlife - from the platypus and the thorny devil to the cassowary and the koala - seems almost indescribably exotic. This is not only true for its plants and animals but also for its landscapes and environments. The unusual fauna, unusual environments, unusual climate, and the vast size of Australia - spanning tropical rainforest and savannah woodlands in the north, through deserts, beaches and gum forests to cool alpine meadows and snowy mountaintops in Tasmania - have all combined to create and incredible diversity of species, which mark Australia out as one of the world's 'megadiverse' nations - those that occupy a total of less than 10 per cent of the world's surface area, yet together hold more than three quarters of its species. Join Australian Geographic as we take you on a pictorial journey of our fascinating world of wildlife.
The discovery of stunning, feathered dinosaur fossils coming out of China since 2006 suggests that these creatures were much more bird-like than paleontologists previously imagined. Further evidenceÑbones, genetics, eggs, behavior, and moreÑdemonstrates a seamless transition from fleet-footed carnivores to the ancestors of modern birds. Mixing colorful portraits with news on the latest fossil findings and interviews with leading paleontologists in the United States, China, Europe, and Australia, award-winning journalist John Pickrell details dinosaursÕ development of flight, which introduced a whole new range of abilities for the animals and helped them survive best out of the thousands of dinosaur species that once populated the Earth. Pickrell also turns his journalistic eye toward the stories behind the discoveries, investigating the role of the Chinese black market in trading fossils, the controversies among various dinosaur hunters, the interference of national governments intent on protecting information, and the race to publish findings first that make this research such a dynamic area of science.
From the outback of Australia to the Gobi Desert of Mongolia and the savanna of Madagascar, award-winning science writer and dinosaur enthusiast John Pickrell embarks on a world tour of new finds, meeting the fossil hunters working at the frontier of discovery. He reveals the dwarf dinosaurs unearthed by an eccentric Transylvanian baron; an aquatic, crocodile-snouted carnivore bigger than T. Rex, which once lurked in North African waterways; a Chinese dinosaur with wings like a bat; and a Patagonian sauropod so enormous it weighed more than two commercial jet airliners. Other surprising discoveries hail from Alaska, Siberia, Canada, Burma, and South Africa. Why did dinosaurs grow so huge? How did they spread across the world? Did they all have feathers? What do sauropods have in common with 1950s vacuum cleaners? The stuff of adventure movies and scientific revolutions, Weird Dinosaurs examines the latest breakthroughs and new technologies radically transforming our understanding of the distant past. Pickrell opens a vivid portal to a brand new age of fossil discovery, in which fossil hunters are routinely redefining what we know and how we think about prehistory's most iconic and fascinating creatures.