Download or read book Taking Wing written by Pat Shipman and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 1999-01-15 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1861, just a few years after the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, a scientist named Hermann von Meyer made an amazing discovery. Hidden in the Bavarian region of Germany was a fossil skeleton so exquisitely preserved that its wings and feathers were as obvious as its reptilian jaws and tail. This transitional creature offered tangible proof of Darwin's theory of evolution. Hailed as the First Bird, Archaeopteryx has remained the subject of heated debates for the last 140 years. Are birds actually living dinosaurs? Where does the fossil record really lead? Did flight originate from the "ground up" or "trees down"? Pat Shipman traces the age-old human desire to soar above the earth and to understand what has come before us. Taking Wing is science as adventure story, told with all the drama by which scientific understanding unfolds.
Download or read book Archaeopteryx written by Peter Wellnhofer and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Last Flight of the Archaeopteryx written by Bryan Spykerman and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2006-08-01 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Whether the Archaeopteryx was the first bird or a somewhat clumsy airborne dinosaur is still uncertain. But Rachel's Archaeopteryx---the name given her airplane by twelve-year-old daughter, Cathy---may face extinction as she flies to remote airports making pickups for Utah's largest bank. Ever trusting and optimistic, Rachel overlooks the obvious: she is being stalked. So why would she think the disappearance of an acquaintance has anything to do with her? The bullet hole in the wing of her airplane catches her attention. But wasn't that just a potshot from a drunken hunter? Rachel wants to put these distractions behind her. She has more important things on her mind, like keeping pace with her increasingly independent daughter and her growing friendship with the beautiful and athletic, Sherry Sanchez. No time for unpleasant thoughts until her lofty view of the world snares her in a complex--and dangerous--web.
Download or read book Dinosaurs of the Air written by Gregory S. Paul and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2002-05 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book synthesises the growing body of evidence which suggests that modern-day birds have evolved from theropod dinosaurs of prehistoric times. The author argues that the ancestor-descendant relationship can also be reversed.
Download or read book The Origin and Evolution of Birds written by Alan Feduccia and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 490 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book Encyclopedia of Time written by H. James Birx and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2009-01-13 with total page 593 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Surveying the major facts, concepts, theories, and speculations that infuse our present comprehension of time, the Encyclopedia of Time: Science, Philosophy, Theology, and Culture explores the contributions of scientists, philosophers, theologians, and creative artists from ancient times to the present. By drawing together into one collection ideas from scholars around the globe and in a wide range of disciplines, this Encyclopedia will provide readers with a greater understanding of and appreciation for the elusive phenomenon experienced as time. Features · Surveys historical thought about time, including those that emerged in ancient Greece, early Christianity, the Italian Renaissance, the Age of Enlightenment, and other periods+ Covers the original and lasting insights of evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin, physicist Albert Einstein, philosopher Alfred North Whitehead, and theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin + Discusses the significance of time in the writings of Isaac Asimov, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Fyodor M. Dostoevsky, Francesco Petrarch, and numerous other authors+ Includes the contributions of naturalists, philosophers, physicists, theologians, astronomers, anthropologists, geologists, paleontologists, and psychologists+ Includes artists+ portrayals of the fluidity of time, including painter Salvador Dali+s The Persistence of Memory and The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, and writers Gustave Flaubert+s The Temptation of Saint Anthony and Henryk Sienkiewicz+s Quo Vadis+ Provides a truly interdisciplinary approach, with discussions of Aztec, Buddhist, Christian, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Islamic, Hindu, Navajo, and many other cultures+ conceptions of time
Download or read book The Vertebrate Integument Volume 2 written by Theagarten Lingham-Soliar and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-02-18 with total page 357 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The emphasis in this volume is on the structure and functional design of the integument. The book starts with a brief introduction to some basic principles of physics (mechanics) including Newton’s Three Laws of Motion. These principles are subsequently used to interpret the problems animals encounter in motion. It is in only the last 40 or so years that we have begun to understand how important a role the integument plays in the locomotion of many marine vertebrates. This involves the crossed-fiber architecture, which was first discovered in a classic study on nemertean worms. As a design principle we see that the crossed-fiber architecture is ubiquitous in nature. Research on some of the most dynamic marine vertebrates of the oceans – tuna, dolphins and sharks, and the extinct Jurassic ichthyosaurs – shows precisely how the crossed-fiber architecture contributes to high-speed swimming and (in lamnid sharks) may even aid in energy conservation. However, this design principle is not restricted to animals in the marine biota but is also found as far afield as the dinosaurs and, most recently, has been revealed as a major part of the microstructure of the most complex derivative of the integument, the feather. We see that a variety of phylogenetically diverse vertebrates take to the air by using skin flaps to glide from tree to tree or to the ground, and present detailed descriptions of innovations developed in pursuit of improved gliding capabilities in both extinct and modern day gliders. But the vertebrate integument had even greater things in store, namely true or flapping flight. Pterosaurs were the first vertebrates to use the integument as a membrane in true flapping flight and these interesting extinct animals are discussed on the basis of past and cutting-edge research , most intriguingly with respect to the structure of the flight membrane. Bats, the only mammals that fly, also employ integumental flight membranes. Classic research on bat flight is reviewed and supplemented with the latest research, which shows the complexities of the wing beat cycle to be significantly different from that of birds, as revealed by particle image velocimetry. The book’s largest chapter is devoted to birds, given that they make up nearly half of the over 22,000 species of tetrapods. The flight apparatus of birds is unique in nature and is described in great detail, with innovative research highlighting the complexity of the flight structures, bird flight patterns, and behavior in a variety of species. This is complimented by new research on the brains of birds, which shows that they are more complex than previously thought. The feather made bird flight possible, and was itself made possible by β-keratin, contributing to what may be a unique biomechanical microstructure in nature, a topic discussed in some depth. A highly polarized subject concerns the origin of birds and of the feather. Alleged fossilized protofeathers (primal simple feathers) are considered on the basis of histological and taphonomic investigative studies in Chapter 6. Finally, in Chapter 7 we discuss the controversies associated with this field of research. Professor Theagarten Lingham-Soliar works at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth and is an Honorary Professor of Life Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Download or read book MCAT Practice Tests written by Kaplan and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2004-02-05 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kaplan MCAT Practice Tests, Fourth Editionfeatures: *1 Full-length practice test with complete explanations *2 practice tests for each of the 4 sections on the MCAT (Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning, Writing) *Effective test-taking strategies
Download or read book Sturkie s Avian Physiology written by Colin G. Scanes and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2021-11-06 with total page 1464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sturkie's Avian Physiology, Seventh Edition is the classic comprehensive single volume on the physiology of domestic as well as wild birds. This latest edition is thoroughly revised and updated and features several new chapters with entirely new content on such topics as vision, sensory taste, pain reception, evolution, and domestication. Chapters throughout have been greatly expanded due to the many recent advances in the field. This book is written by international experts in different aspects of avian physiology. For easy reading and searches, this book is structured under a series of themes, beginning with genomic studies, sensory biology and nervous systems, and major organs. The chapters then move on to investigate metabolism, endocrine physiology, reproduction, and finally cross-cutting themes such as stress and rhythms. New chapters on feathers and skin are featured as well. Sturkie's Avian Physiology, Seventh Edition is an important resource for ornithologists, poultry scientists, and other researchers in avian studies. It is also useful for students in avian or poultry physiology, as well as avian veterinarians. - Stands out as the only single volume devoted to bird physiology - Features updates, revisions, or additions to each chapter - Written and edited by international leaders in avian studies
Download or read book The Origin of Birds written by Gerhard Heilmann and published by . This book was released on 1926 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Killer Dinosaurs written by Clare Hibbert and published by Enslow Publishing, LLC. This book was released on 2018-07-15 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two-legged carnivorous dinosaurs, known as theropods, are one of the most recognizable dinosaur types. Going beyond Tyrannosaurus rex, this book showcases many theropods, including feathered dinosaurs (dromaeosaurs) that, once discovered, provided one of the missing links between dinosaurs and birds. Although scientists have not discovered very many theropod fossils, they have still discovered a great deal about how these dinosaurs hunted, where they lay their eggs, and much more. Fact boxes, timelines, and images will help readers learn all about these fierce prehistoric carnivores.
Download or read book Comparative Psychology written by Mauricio Papini and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2020-10-20 with total page 559 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This revised third edition provides an up to date, comprehensive overview of the field of comparative psychology, integrating both evolutionary and developmental studies of brain and behavior. This book provides a unique combination of areas normally covered independently to satisfy the requirements of comparative psychology courses. Papini ensures thorough coverage of topics like the fundamentals of neural function, the cognitive and associative capacities of animals, the development of the central nervous system and behavior, and the fossil record of animals including human ancestors. This text includes many examples drawn from the study of human behavior, highlighting general and basic principles that apply broadly to the animal kingdom. New topics introduced in this edition include genetics, epigenetics, neurobiological, and cognitive advances made in recent years into this evolutionary-developmental framework. An essential textbook for upper level undergraduate and graduate courses in comparative psychology, animal behavior, and evolutionary psychology, developmental psychology, neuroscience and behavioral biology.
Download or read book The Dinosaur Awards written by Barbara Taylor and published by Frances Lincoln Limited. This book was released on 2021-05-11 with total page 75 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Celebrate 50 of the most dynamic dinosaurs with this incredible compendium, illustrated by Stephen Collins. In The Dinosaur Awards, prehistoric creatures big and small are awarded prizes to celebrate their most dazzling talents and unusual skills.
Download or read book Birds written by Gisela T. Kaplan and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2001-06 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An unusual collection of curious facts describing the fascinating behaviors and physiology of birds of all shapes and sizes.
Download or read book Romancing the Birds and Dinosaurs written by Alan Feduccia and published by BrownWalker Press. This book was released on 2020-10-15 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Birds and dinosaurs have dominated human interest for decades. In this well-supported revolutionary view of the field, critical questions are explored with credible evidence and biological thought. Are birds derived directly from advanced dinosaurs, or are they closely related dinosaur cousins? Did flight originate via the natural "gravity-assisted" trees-down model, or from the improbable “gravity-resisted” ground-up model? Were the earliest birds ground-predators or trunk-climbing gliders? Were dinosaurs hot-blooded with insulating protofeathers, or highly active, cold-blooded reptiles? These are among the questions addressed in this path-breaking book. Current consensus suggests that early birds were earth-bound and flight began on the ground. Reversing that logic, since birds are hot-blooded, by inference so too were dinosaurs, and extraordinarily complex feathers, flight brain and inner ear, evolved before flight in dinosaurs. The iconic early bird Archaeopteryx, despite innumerable flight and arboreal features, is now displayed as an earth-bound predator that could not fly. In reality, we have yet to provide satisfactory explanations for much of the biological origin and early evolution of birds. Among the questions addressed is whether truly feathered dinosaurs are in reality lost or "hidden birds?" The architectural complexity of feathers leads the author to the conclusion that if an animal has evolved extraordinarily complex, aerodynamically-designed feathers, an avian flight hand, flight membranes, and a flight brain, it's a bird. Birds and dinosaurs captivate and enchant the human imagination. These intriguing animals have dominated the field of paleontology and evolution for the past half century, engendering heated debate on avian ancestry, the origin of flight and feathers, and the biology of their fossils. Are birds living dinosaurs? In this series of entertainingly contentious and captivating essays evolutionary biologist Alan Feduccia writes with verve and humor to expose major problems in the field and advocate liberation from the shackles of consensus thinking about birds and dinosaurs. He maintains that the euphoria of paleontologists claiming to have solved the major problems of bird evolution is premature, largely generated by the adoption of a rigid, cult-like methodology, heavily blended with ideology, and excluding many biological and geological principles. He adroitly exposes and elucidates major mistakes in the field and their aftermath. Romancing the Birds and Dinosaurs is a lucid revelation of clarity and synthesis, a fascinating unveiling of the underlying science that has produced the good, but also often appalling fossil research and wild speculation in bird and dinosaur evolution. A must read for anyone interested in this rapidly evolving field, the short, concise and incisive essays provide the reader with access to this complex topic. REVIEWS and WORDS OF PRAISE In this strikingly unconventional and brilliant book, Professor Alan Feduccia presents the current status of the recent controversy about the origin of birds with clarity and vigor. A thought-provoking personal exploration of what the bird fossils represent. ---Sankar Chatterjee, Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor of Geosciences and Curator of Paleontology, Texas Tech University. Feduccia's book eloquently reminds us that consensus science is to be shied away from especially when it is used to plead special cases against basic scientific principles. The concept of “lost birds” is particularly intriguing as it defines what birds are and how special science obfuscates the simplicity of evolution. ---David A. Burnham, Associate Researcher, University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum. Based on a thorough understanding of the empirical evidence, Feduccia presents a convincing account of avian origins from their putative ancestors. ---Walter J. Bock, Professor of Evolutionary Biology, Columbia University and Research Associate, American Museum of Natural History. With candor, clear thinking, humor, and abundant evidence, Alan Feduccia’s Romancing the Birds and Dinosaurs should be mandatory reading for the countless millions who are intrigued by dinosaurs and their relatives, the birds. Feduccia points out the many empirical and logical shortcomings in the stubborn majority view that birds evolved from dinosaurs, an idea now solidly entrenched as dogma in education and popular culture. This new book will be as interesting to those who study human behavior and scientific methods as it will to students of vertebrate evolution. ---David W. Steadman, Curator of Ornithology, Professor of Biology, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida.
Download or read book The Rise of Birds written by Sankar Chatterjee and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2015-04-01 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book The Greatest Dinosaur Book Ever written by Evan Johnson-Ransom and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2023-02-21 with total page 704 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Get ready, young paleontologists! With over 1,000 jaw-dropping species, The Greatest Dinosaur Book Ever is your guide to all things prehistoric! Did you know some dinosaurs had feathers? Or that others had full body armor? From humongous herbivores to fearsome carnivores, this book covers everything you’ll ever need to know about dinosaurs. Examine surprising fossil evidence found around the world and discover each species’ adaptations and specializations. You’ll learn all about their attack and defense tools, including retractable claws, serrated teeth, clubbed tails, large horns, sharp spines, and more. Go beyond fan-favorites like the T-rex and the Triceratops and venture into the latest discoveries from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. Inside you’ll find: - Profiles on hundreds of dinosaur species covering anatomy, diet, habitat, cool features, and unique characteristics - A stunning gatefold and a large poster - Features on well-known paleontologists and their awesome finds - Other key finds and specimens in museums around the world This visual guide presents the most astounding species, including powerful predators with terrifying jaws and dinos that were only the size of chickens. From killer claws to camouflage, track these fascinating prehistoric species’ evolution through the dinosaur era with The Greatest Dinosaur Book Ever. Julius Csotonyi is one of the world's most high profile and talented contemporary scientific illustrators. Csotonyi has considerable academic expertise that contributes to his stunning dynamic art. He has created life-sized dinosaur murals for the Royal Ontario Museum and for the Dinosaur Hall at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and most of the artwork for the new Hall of Paleontology at the HMNS. He has illustrated the nonfiction children's book Prehistoric Predators, Dino World, Bug World, Shark World, Discovering Tigers, Discovering Reptiles, Discovering Bugs, Discovering Whales, and The T. Rex Handbook. He currently lives in Canada.
