Feathered dinosaurs, walking whales, killer kangaroos-these are but a few of the fantastic creatures that roamed theplanet 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 cometo 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 discoveriesmade in recent years. Gregory Erickson reexamines T. rex and reconstructs how the monster lived. Ryosuke Motanidescribes the reign of fishlike reptiles known as ichthyosaurs. Kevin Padian and Luis Chiappe trace today's birds back totheir carnivorous, bipedal dinosaur forebears. And Stephen Wroe presents the menacing relatives of Australia's belovedpouched mammals. Other articles document the descent of whales from four-legged landlubbers and recount the challengesand rewards of leading fossil-collecting expeditions to uncharted locales.

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