1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910461644103321

Autore

Alexander David E. <1955->

Titolo

On the wing : insects, pterosaurs, birds, bats and the evolution of animal flight / / David E. Alexander ; illustrations by Sara L. Taliaferro

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Oxford, [England] ; ; New York, New York : , : Oxford University Press, , 2015

©2015

ISBN

0-19-999679-2

0-19-999678-4

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (225 p.)

Disciplina

591.57

Soggetti

Animal flight

Wings (Anatomy) - Evolution

Electronic books.

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Cover; Contents; Acknowledgments; Note on Sources; 1. 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?; Bibliography; Index

Sommario/riassunto

On the Wing is the first book to take a comprehensive look at the evolution of flight in all four groups of powered flyers: insects, pterosaurs, birds and bats. David Alexander describes and evaluates both traditional and modern wing-origin theories in light of new fossil and genetic evidence.