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The fossil record of giant flightless birds extends back to the Late Cretaceous, more than 70 million years ago, but our understanding of these extinct birds is still incomplete. This is partly because the number of specimens available is sometimes limited, but also because widely different approaches have been used to study them, with sometimes contradictory results. This book summarizes the current knowledge of the paleobiology of seven groups of giant flightless birds: Dinornithiformes, Aepyornithiformes, Dromornithidae, Phorusrhacidae, Brontornithidae, Gastornithidae and Gargantuavis. The first chapter presents the global diversity of these birds and reviews the tools and methods used to study their paleobiology. Chapters 2 to 8 are each dedicated to one of the seven groups of extinct birds. Finally, a conclusion offers a global synthesis of the information presented in the book in an attempt to define a common evolutionary model. Focuses on the giant flightless birds that evolved independently in different parts of the world since the Cretaceous period Covers a number of different families with different evolutionary histories, providing a source of interesting comparisons Provides emphasis on the palaeobiology of these birds, including their evolution, adaptations, mode of life, ecology and extinction
Book Synopsis Palaeobiology of Giant Flightless Birds by : Delphine Angst
Download or read book Palaeobiology of Giant Flightless Birds written by Delphine Angst and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2017-11-16 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The fossil record of giant flightless birds extends back to the Late Cretaceous, more than 70 million years ago, but our understanding of these extinct birds is still incomplete. This is partly because the number of specimens available is sometimes limited, but also because widely different approaches have been used to study them, with sometimes contradictory results. This book summarizes the current knowledge of the paleobiology of seven groups of giant flightless birds: Dinornithiformes, Aepyornithiformes, Dromornithidae, Phorusrhacidae, Brontornithidae, Gastornithidae and Gargantuavis. The first chapter presents the global diversity of these birds and reviews the tools and methods used to study their paleobiology. Chapters 2 to 8 are each dedicated to one of the seven groups of extinct birds. Finally, a conclusion offers a global synthesis of the information presented in the book in an attempt to define a common evolutionary model. Focuses on the giant flightless birds that evolved independently in different parts of the world since the Cretaceous period Covers a number of different families with different evolutionary histories, providing a source of interesting comparisons Provides emphasis on the palaeobiology of these birds, including their evolution, adaptations, mode of life, ecology and extinction
Although flight is often considered one of the most salient characteristics of birds, in the course of their evolution, various avian lineages have lost the ability to fly. This books explores various aspects of the multifaceted evolutionary processes that have led to loss of flight in several groups of birds. The nine papers in this collection deal with flightless birds belonging to widely different extinct and extant groups, from many parts of the world and from various time periods, from the Late Cretaceous to the Quaternary. They illustrate both the diversity of flightless birds and the multifarious approaches that can be used to study them, from stratigraphy and functional anatomy to phylogenetic analysis and bone histology.
Book Synopsis Evolution and Palaeobiology of Flightless Birds by : Delphine Angst
Download or read book Evolution and Palaeobiology of Flightless Birds written by Delphine Angst and published by Mdpi AG. This book was released on 2022-06-02 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although flight is often considered one of the most salient characteristics of birds, in the course of their evolution, various avian lineages have lost the ability to fly. This books explores various aspects of the multifaceted evolutionary processes that have led to loss of flight in several groups of birds. The nine papers in this collection deal with flightless birds belonging to widely different extinct and extant groups, from many parts of the world and from various time periods, from the Late Cretaceous to the Quaternary. They illustrate both the diversity of flightless birds and the multifarious approaches that can be used to study them, from stratigraphy and functional anatomy to phylogenetic analysis and bone histology.
What was life like on our planet long before the early humans emerged? Paleontologist Dr. Mark P. Witton draws on the latest twenty-first century discoveries to re-create the appearances and lifestyles of extinct, fascinating species, the environments they inhabited, and the challenges they faced living on an ever-changing planet. A worthy successor to Charles Knight's beloved 1946 classic, Life through the Ages II takes us on an unforgettable journey through the evolution of life on Earth. Dozens of gorgeous color illustrations and meticulously researched, accompanying commentary showcase the succession of lost worlds, defining events, and ancient creatures that have appeared since the earth was formed, creating an indispensable guide to explore what came before us.
Book Synopsis Life through the Ages II by : Mark P. Witton
Download or read book Life through the Ages II written by Mark P. Witton and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2020-04-07 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What was life like on our planet long before the early humans emerged? Paleontologist Dr. Mark P. Witton draws on the latest twenty-first century discoveries to re-create the appearances and lifestyles of extinct, fascinating species, the environments they inhabited, and the challenges they faced living on an ever-changing planet. A worthy successor to Charles Knight's beloved 1946 classic, Life through the Ages II takes us on an unforgettable journey through the evolution of life on Earth. Dozens of gorgeous color illustrations and meticulously researched, accompanying commentary showcase the succession of lost worlds, defining events, and ancient creatures that have appeared since the earth was formed, creating an indispensable guide to explore what came before us.
Living Dinosaurs offers a snapshot of our current understanding of the origin and evolution of birds. After slumbering for more than a century, avian palaeontology has been awakened by startling new discoveries on almost every continent. Controversies about whether dinosaurs had real feathers or whether birds were related to dinosaurs have been swept away and replaced by new and more difficult questions: How old is the avian lineage? How did birds learn to fly? Which birds survived the great extinction that ended the Mesozoic Era and how did the avian genome evolve? Answers to these questions may help us understand how the different kinds of living birds are related to one another and how they evolved into their current niches. More importantly, they may help us understand what we need to do to help them survive the dramatic impacts of human activity on the planet.
Book Synopsis Living Dinosaurs by : Dr. Gareth Dyke
Download or read book Living Dinosaurs written by Dr. Gareth Dyke and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-02-15 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Living Dinosaurs offers a snapshot of our current understanding of the origin and evolution of birds. After slumbering for more than a century, avian palaeontology has been awakened by startling new discoveries on almost every continent. Controversies about whether dinosaurs had real feathers or whether birds were related to dinosaurs have been swept away and replaced by new and more difficult questions: How old is the avian lineage? How did birds learn to fly? Which birds survived the great extinction that ended the Mesozoic Era and how did the avian genome evolve? Answers to these questions may help us understand how the different kinds of living birds are related to one another and how they evolved into their current niches. More importantly, they may help us understand what we need to do to help them survive the dramatic impacts of human activity on the planet.
Over millions of years, Australia's unique biodiversity has produced a large cabinet of curiosities. Among the weirder members of this group were the Mihirungs, members of the now extinct family Dromornithidae. Made up of several genera of flightless birds—among them one of the very largest birds that ever lived—the dromornithids ranged from 60-kilogram beasts, 1.5 meters tall, to giants twice that size, weighing nearly half a metric ton. They were, by orders of magnitude, the largest "geese" that ever lived. One species was comparable in size to the Ele-phantbird of Madagascar and the Giant Moa of New Zealand. This book is the first major study of this unique and highly diverse group. It aims to present as complete a synthesis as possible of current information about this fascinating family of birds.
Book Synopsis Magnificent Mihirungs by : Peter F. Murray
Download or read book Magnificent Mihirungs written by Peter F. Murray and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2004-03-04 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over millions of years, Australia's unique biodiversity has produced a large cabinet of curiosities. Among the weirder members of this group were the Mihirungs, members of the now extinct family Dromornithidae. Made up of several genera of flightless birds—among them one of the very largest birds that ever lived—the dromornithids ranged from 60-kilogram beasts, 1.5 meters tall, to giants twice that size, weighing nearly half a metric ton. They were, by orders of magnitude, the largest "geese" that ever lived. One species was comparable in size to the Ele-phantbird of Madagascar and the Giant Moa of New Zealand. This book is the first major study of this unique and highly diverse group. It aims to present as complete a synthesis as possible of current information about this fascinating family of birds.
Discusses the first bird, extinct birds including the roc, great auk, and dodo, and forty-six living species of birds that lack the power of flight.
Book Synopsis Wonders of Flightless Birds by : Sigmund A. Lavine
Download or read book Wonders of Flightless Birds written by Sigmund A. Lavine and published by Putnam Publishing Group. This book was released on 1981-01-01 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discusses the first bird, extinct birds including the roc, great auk, and dodo, and forty-six living species of birds that lack the power of flight.
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.
Book Synopsis Romancing the Birds and Dinosaurs by : Alan Feduccia
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.
Book Synopsis Collected Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring the 90th Birthday of Alexander Wetmore by : Storrs L. Olson
Download or read book Collected Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring the 90th Birthday of Alexander Wetmore written by Storrs L. Olson and published by . This book was released on 1976 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Book Synopsis Introduction to Palaeobiology by : Bernhard Ziegler
Download or read book Introduction to Palaeobiology written by Bernhard Ziegler and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 1983 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
The 32 papers collected herein reflect the great diversity and interest that the study of fossil birds has generated in recent years. The first seven papers (Mourer-Chauvir et al., Worthy and Jouventin, Segu and Alcover, Steadman and Hilgartner, Millener, Worthy, Pavia) relate to late Quaternary birds from islands, where human intervention in the last few thousand years has caused many heretofore unrecorded extinctions. Three papers on Quaternary avifaunas of continental Europe deal with distributional changes and cultural use of birds by humans in Siberia (Potapova and Panteleyev), the utility of patterns of seabird distribution in determining former marine climatic conditions (Tyrberg), and temporal changes in morphology of ptarmigans (Lagopus) through the late Pleistocene (Stewart). Three papers deal with late Cenozoic raptors (Campbell et al., Tambussi and Noriega, Emslie and Czaplewski). New genera from Paleogene deposits are described by Boles and Ivison, Karhu, and Peters. Five papers deal with ancient waterfowl. Alvarenga describes the first fossil screamer (Anhimidae) from the Oligocene of Brazil. Olson provides the first fossil records of the Anseranatidae, with the description of a new species from the early Eocene of England, which is referred to Anatalavis from the Paleocene/Cretaceous of New Jersey. Ericson provides the means to distiguish Eocene fossils of the duck-like Presbyornis from the flamingo-like Juncitarsus and gives new records of the latter. Benson shows that the Paleocene Presbyornis isoni once ranged from Maryland to North Dakota, and he gives records of other Paleocene birds from North Dakota. Hope names a new, larger species of Graculavus, extending the range of the genus from New Jersey to the Cretaceous of Wyoming.The early history and evolution of birds receives great attention. Dzerzhinsky expands upon the significance of cranial morphology in paleognathous birds. Kurochkin relates the early Cretaceous genus Ambiortus to the Chinese Otogornis, which are supposed to be on a line with modern birds, as opposed to the Enantiornithes. Bochenski uses paleogeography to suggest that the Enantiornithes must antedate Archaeopteryx. Zhou and Martin show that the manus of Archaeopteryx is more bird-like than previously realized. Martin and Stewart use bird teeth to argue against dinosaurian origins for Aves, whereas Elzanowski diverges on various aspects of dinosaurian cranial morphology and that of early birds that may have evolutionary significance. Witmer, Chiappe, and Goslow present summaries of three sessions of a roundtable discussion on avian origins, early evolution of birds, and the origins of flight, which was held on June 7, the last day of the meeting, and which covered much controversial territory.
Book Synopsis Avian Paleontology at the Close of the 20th Century by : Society of Avian Paleontology and Evolution. Symposium
Download or read book Avian Paleontology at the Close of the 20th Century written by Society of Avian Paleontology and Evolution. Symposium and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 788 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 32 papers collected herein reflect the great diversity and interest that the study of fossil birds has generated in recent years. The first seven papers (Mourer-Chauvir et al., Worthy and Jouventin, Segu and Alcover, Steadman and Hilgartner, Millener, Worthy, Pavia) relate to late Quaternary birds from islands, where human intervention in the last few thousand years has caused many heretofore unrecorded extinctions. Three papers on Quaternary avifaunas of continental Europe deal with distributional changes and cultural use of birds by humans in Siberia (Potapova and Panteleyev), the utility of patterns of seabird distribution in determining former marine climatic conditions (Tyrberg), and temporal changes in morphology of ptarmigans (Lagopus) through the late Pleistocene (Stewart). Three papers deal with late Cenozoic raptors (Campbell et al., Tambussi and Noriega, Emslie and Czaplewski). New genera from Paleogene deposits are described by Boles and Ivison, Karhu, and Peters. Five papers deal with ancient waterfowl. Alvarenga describes the first fossil screamer (Anhimidae) from the Oligocene of Brazil. Olson provides the first fossil records of the Anseranatidae, with the description of a new species from the early Eocene of England, which is referred to Anatalavis from the Paleocene/Cretaceous of New Jersey. Ericson provides the means to distiguish Eocene fossils of the duck-like Presbyornis from the flamingo-like Juncitarsus and gives new records of the latter. Benson shows that the Paleocene Presbyornis isoni once ranged from Maryland to North Dakota, and he gives records of other Paleocene birds from North Dakota. Hope names a new, larger species of Graculavus, extending the range of the genus from New Jersey to the Cretaceous of Wyoming.The early history and evolution of birds receives great attention. Dzerzhinsky expands upon the significance of cranial morphology in paleognathous birds. Kurochkin relates the early Cretaceous genus Ambiortus to the Chinese Otogornis, which are supposed to be on a line with modern birds, as opposed to the Enantiornithes. Bochenski uses paleogeography to suggest that the Enantiornithes must antedate Archaeopteryx. Zhou and Martin show that the manus of Archaeopteryx is more bird-like than previously realized. Martin and Stewart use bird teeth to argue against dinosaurian origins for Aves, whereas Elzanowski diverges on various aspects of dinosaurian cranial morphology and that of early birds that may have evolutionary significance. Witmer, Chiappe, and Goslow present summaries of three sessions of a roundtable discussion on avian origins, early evolution of birds, and the origins of flight, which was held on June 7, the last day of the meeting, and which covered much controversial territory.
