New Perspectives on the Origin and Early Evolution of Birds

New Perspectives on the Origin and Early Evolution of Birds PDF Author: Jacques Gauthier
Publisher: Yale Univ Peabody Museum
ISBN: 9780912532578
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 613

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New Perspectives on the Origin and Early Evolution of Birds

New Perspectives on the Origin and Early Evolution of Birds PDF Author: Jacques Gauthier
Publisher: Yale Univ Peabody Museum
ISBN: 9780912532578
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 613

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Book Description


The Origin and Evolution of Birds

The Origin and Evolution of Birds PDF Author: Alan Feduccia
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300078619
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 490

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Book Description
An exploration of all that is known about the origin of birds and of avian flight. It draws on fossil evidence and studies of the structure and biochemistry of living birds to present knowledge and data on avian evolution and to propose a new model of this evolutionary process.

The Rise of Birds

The Rise of Birds PDF Author: Sankar Chatterjee
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 142141614X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 387

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Book Description
The most comprehensive account of the origin of ancient and modern birds—the "living dinosaurs." A small set of fossilized bones discovered almost thirty years ago led paleontologist Sankar Chatterjee on a lifelong quest to understand their place in our understanding of the history of life. They were clearly the bones of something unusual, a bird-like creature that lived long, long ago in the age of dinosaurs. He called it Protoavis, and the animal that owned these bones quickly became a contender for the title of "oldest known bird." In 1997, Chatterjee published his findings in the first edition of The Rise of Birds. Since then Chatterjee and his colleagues have searched the world for more transitional bird fossils. And they have found them. This second edition of The Rise of Birds brings together a treasure trove of fossils that tell us far more about the evolution of birds than we once dreamed possible. With no blind allegiance to what he once thought he knew, Chatterjee devours the new evidence and lays out the most compelling version of the birth and evolution of the avian form ever attempted. He takes us from Texas to Spain, China, Mongolia, Madagascar, Australia, Antarctica, and Argentina. He shows how, in the "Cretaceous Pompeii" of China, he was able to reconstruct the origin and evolution of flight of early birds from the feathered dinosaurs that lay among thousands of other amazing fossils. Chatterjee takes us to where long-hidden bird fossils dwell. His compelling, occasionally controversial, revelations—accompanied by spectacular illustrations—are a must-read for anyone with a serious interest in the evolution of "the feathered dinosaurs," from vertebrate paleontologists and ornithologists to naturalists and birders.

How Birds Evolve

How Birds Evolve PDF Author: Douglas J. Futuyma
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691227268
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 284

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Book Description
A marvelous journey into the world of bird evolution How Birds Evolve explores how evolution has shaped the distinctive characteristics and behaviors we observe in birds today. Douglas Futuyma describes how evolutionary science illuminates the wonders of birds, ranging over topics such as the meaning and origin of species, the evolutionary history of bird diversity, and the evolution of avian reproductive behaviors, plumage ornaments, and social behaviors. In this multifaceted book, Futuyma examines how birds evolved from nonavian dinosaurs and reveals what we can learn from the "family tree" of birds. He looks at the ways natural selection enables different forms of the same species to persist, and discusses how adaptation by natural selection accounts for the diverse life histories of birds and the rich variety of avian parenting styles, mating displays, and cooperative behaviors. He explains why some parts of the planet have so many more species than others, and asks what an evolutionary perspective brings to urgent questions about bird extinction and habitat destruction. Along the way, Futuyma provides an insider's perspective on how biologists practice evolutionary science, from studying the fossil record to comparing DNA sequences among and within species. A must-read for bird enthusiasts and curious naturalists, How Birds Evolve shows how evolutionary biology helps us better understand birds and their natural history, and how the study of birds has informed all aspects of evolutionary science since the time of Darwin.

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs PDF Author: David E. Fastovsky
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108667570
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 540

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Book Description
The ideal textbook for non-science majors, this lively and engaging introduction encourages students to ask questions, assess data critically and think like a scientist. Building on the success of previous editions, Dinosaurs has been thoroughly updated to include new discoveries in the field, such as the toothed bird specimens found in China and recent discoveries of dinosaur soft anatomy. Illustrations by leading paleontological illustrator John Sibbick and new, carefully-chosen photographs, clearly show how dinosaurs looked, lived and their role in Earth history. Making science accessible and relevant through clear explanations and extensive illustrations, the text guides students through the dinosaur groups, emphasizing scientific concepts rather than presenting endless facts. Grounded in the common language of modern evolutionary biology – phylogenetic systematics – students learn to think about dinosaurs the way that professional paleontologists do.

Dinosaurs, Dragons, and the Bible

Dinosaurs, Dragons, and the Bible PDF Author: Bodie Hodge
Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group
ISBN: 1614588422
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
Dinosaurs, Dragons, and the Bible is a one-of-a kind Christian apologetic resource sure to captivate families, scientists, historians, and theologians! Using the Bible as the absolute authority, Bodie Hodge of Answers in Genesis, the Creation Museum, and the Ark Encounter, provides answers to the most asked questions about these amazing creatures. As Christians, we must not ignore what the Scriptures say about dinosaurs and dragons and accept the secular world’s wisdom. This #ProBible handbook offers fascinating answers based on fossil footprints, soft tissue, biblical references to dragons, serpents, and leviathans, and much more. Go beyond the Hollywood version of these magnificent creatures to discover the truth of these icons of Creation and testaments of God’s power in the Genesis Flood. Designed for almost all ages, the book answers questions such as: How Did Huge Dinosaurs Fit on the Ark? Are Dinosaurs and Dragons the Same Thing? How Do I Use the Bible as the Framework to Look at Dinosaurs? Were Dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark (and Did Any Go Extinct Before the Flood)? Are Dinosaur Fossils in the Cretaceous, Jurassic, and Triassic Rock Millions of Years Old or from the Flood? Why Don’t We Find the Word “Dinosaur” in the Bible? Are There Any Human and Dinosaur Fossils Buried Together? Dinosaurs are nearly synonymous with evolution in the minds of much of the world. Studying these answers will help Christian families, church leaders, scientists, and theologians develop greater faith in the infallibility of God’s Word and His role as Creator. A Note from the author, Bodie Hodge: “I want to encourage parents and churches to be able to respond biblically to the secular attacks (war) on our children. So, as any good General would do in times of war, we need to study our opponent and know exactly what the secular side is teaching our children. Then, get equipped with solid biblical answers from our highest commanding officer (God and His Word) to defend our children against the attacks. Then, teach this knowledge diligently and apologetically to the next generation, like parents and churches are supposed to do (e.g., Ephesians 6:4-11, 2 Timothy 3:16–17).”

Mesozoic Birds

Mesozoic Birds PDF Author: Luis M. Chiappe
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520200942
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 534

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Book Description
"Mesozoic Birds is the first book to bring together world-renowned specialists on fossil birds and their importance to avian origins and, more importantly, it stresses a unified approach (cladistics) and presents the most anatomically detailed analyses available to date. No other study or collection of studies has ever done so much. How could the project not be welcomed by its audience of paleontologists, ornithologists, and evolutionary biologists!"—David Weishampel, editor of The Dinosauria "This is the first comprehensive volume dedicated to the relationships and evolution of the birds that lived during the Age of Dinosaurs. Its wealth of information and its diversity of viewpoints will ensure that this indispensable volume is used and discussed for many years to come."—Kevin Padian, University of California, Berkeley

The Biology of the Avian Respiratory System

The Biology of the Avian Respiratory System PDF Author: John N. Maina
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319441531
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
The central focus of this book is the avian respiratory system. The authors explain why the respiratory system of modern birds is built the way it is and works the way that it does. Birds have been and continue to attract particular interest to biologists. The more birds are studied, the more it is appreciated that the existence of human-kind on earth very much depends directly and indirectly on the existence of birds. Regarding the avian respiratory system, published works are scattered in biological journals of fields like physiology, behavior, anatomy/morphology and ecology while others appear in as far afield as paleontology and geology. The contributors to this book are world-renowned experts in their various fields of study. Special attention is given to the evolution, the structure, the function and the development of the lung-air sac system. Readers will not only discover the origin of birds but will also learn how the respiratory system of theropod dinosaurs worked and may have transformed into the avian one. In addition, the work explores such aspects as swallowing mechanism in birds, the adaptations that have evolved for flight at extreme altitude and gas exchange in eggs. It is a highly informative and carefully presented work that provides cutting edge scientific insights for readers with an interest in the respiratory biology and the evolution of birds.

Flow Phenomena in Nature: A challenge to engineering design

Flow Phenomena in Nature: A challenge to engineering design PDF Author: Roland Liebe
Publisher: WIT Press
ISBN: 1845640012
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 418

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Book Description
Do we have an adequate understanding of fluid dynamics phenomena in nature and evolution, and what physical models do we need? What can we learn from nature to stimulate innovations in thinking as well as in engineering applications? Concentrating on flight and propulsion, this unique and accessible book compares fluid dynamics solutions in nature with those in engineering. The respected international contributors present up-to-date research in an easy to understand manner, giving common viewpoints from fields such as zoology, engineering, biology, fluid mechanics and physics. Contents: Introduction to Fluid Dynamics; Swimming and Flying in Nature; Generation of Forces in Fluids - Current Understanding; The Finite, Natural Vortex in Steady and Unsteady Fluid Dynamics - New Modelling; Applications in Engineering with Inspirations From Nature; Modern Experimental and Numerical Methods in Fluid Dynamics.

Riddle of the Feathered Dragons

Riddle of the Feathered Dragons PDF Author: Alan Feduccia
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300165692
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 631

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Book Description
"Inspired by the spectacular discoveries of the past two decades from the Age of Reptiles in China, Riddle of the Feathered Dragons explores how these miraculous fossils have transformed the contentious arena of bird and dinosaur evolution. Aside from being the most comprehensive discussion of these avian and associated discoveries, the author delves into the world of investigative journalism to expose the darker side of the world of fossil birds and dinosaurs. The book exposes the massive unfounded speculation that has characterized the field of vertebrate paleontology and published extensively in the world's most prestigious journals, including everything from supposed dinosaur protein to so-called feathered dinosaurs. The book questions the validity of the foundational tenets of the now "unquestionable orthodoxy" of bird and dinosaur evolution, including bird origins, feathered dinosaurs, flight origin from the ground-up and hot-blooded dinosaurs and their proteins. It exposes how speculation has gone far beyond the ability of the currently available evidence to yield answers. The author concludes that birds are best defined by a more traditional definition of the possession of feathers and avian flight architecture, that the so-called "feathered dinosaurs" are most likely derived avians, and that flight clearly originated from the trees-down, from ancestors that antedated the dinosaurs, rather than a direct linear descent"--