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Overview"Ask anybody what superpower they wished to possess and odds are the answer just might be ""the ability to fly."" What is it about soaring through the air held up by the power of one's own body that has captivated humans for so long? David Alexander examines the evolution of flight in the only four animals to have evolved this ability: insects, pterosaurs, birds, and bats. With an accessible writing style grounded in rigorous research, Alexander breaks new ground in a field that has previously been confined to specialists. While birds have received the majority of attention from flight researchers, Alexander pays equal attention to all four groups of flyers-something that no other book on the subject has done before now. In a streamlined and captivating way, David Alexander demonstrates the links between the tiny 2-mm thrip and the enormous albatross with the 12 feet wingspan used to cross oceans. The book delves into the fossil record of flyers enough to satisfy the budding paleontologist, while also pleasing ornithologists and entomologists alike with its treatment of animal behavior, flapping mechanisms, and wing-origin theory. Alexander uses relatable examples to draw in readers even without a natural interest in birds, bees, and bats. He takes something that is so off-limits and unfamiliar to humans-the act of flying-and puts it in the context of experiences that many readers can relate to. Alexander guides readers through the anomalies of the flying world: hovering hummingbirds, unexpected gliders (squirrels, for instance), and the flyers that went extinct (pterosaurs). Alexander also delves into wing-origin theory and explores whether birds entered the skies from the trees down (as gliders) or from the ground up (as runners) and uses the latest fossil evidence to present readers with an answer." Full Product DetailsAuthor: David E. AlexanderPublisher: Oxford University Press Inc Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc Dimensions: Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 24.40cm Weight: 0.454kg ISBN: 9780199996773ISBN 10: 0199996776 Pages: 226 Publication Date: 05 November 2015 Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Tertiary & Higher Education , Professional & Vocational Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: To order  Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us. Table of Contents1 Can't Tell the Players without a Scorecard 2 Theme and Variations: Similarities and Differences among Nature's Flyers 3 How to Fly? 4 Gliding Animals: Flight without Power 5 Insects: First to Fly 6 Birds: The Feathered Flyers 7 Bats: Wings in the Dark 8 Pterosaurs: Bygone Dragons 9 Pedestrians Descended from Flyers: Loss of Flight 10 Unifying Themes?ReviewsThis book provides a very accessible, well-illustrated synthesis of current understanding of how this most wondrous, rare, and beneficial of adaptations came to be. From birdwatchers to bug collectors, dinosaur enthusiasts, bat lovers, and even pilots, anyone with an interest in nature, evolution, and flight will enjoy this fascinating book. Highly recommended. D. Flaspohler, CHOICE Dependably engaging The Washington Post Alexander tells us that this book had a long gestation; he started writing it in 2002. But if the writing was difficult the reading is easy; the book ranks highly on that score. But Alexander has not compromised on the scientific content, and he gives all the different views he describes a fair hearing while not hesitating to say where his own preference lies. This is definitely a book that I shall be reading more than once. Anthony Campbell's Book Reviews On the Wing would be an excellent introduction to the field for amateur birders and entomologists - or just the flight curious. Furthermore, while reading, I found myself designing an undergraduate seminar course, using the book as a foundation and introduction to supplemental primary research. Brandon E. Jackson, Bioscience On the Wing would be an excellent introduction to the field for amateur birders and entomologists - or just the flight curious. Furthermore, while reading, I found myself designing an undergraduate seminar course, using the book as a foundation and introduction to supplemental primary research. Brandon E. Jackson, Bioscience dependably engaging -- The Washington Post Author InformationDavid Alexander grew up near Dayton, Ohio, and earned a B.S. at the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. at Duke University. He has been on the faculty of the University of Kansas for over 20 years. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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