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  • On the Wing: Insects, Pterosaurs, Birds, Bats and the Evolution of Animal Flight

    On the Wing by Alexander, David E.;

    Insects, Pterosaurs, Birds, Bats and the Evolution of Animal Flight

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      • Publisher's listprice GBP 33.49
      • The price is estimated because at the time of ordering we do not know what conversion rates will apply to HUF / product currency when the book arrives. In case HUF is weaker, the price increases slightly, in case HUF is stronger, the price goes lower slightly.

        15 999 Ft (15 237 Ft + 5% VAT)
      • Discount 10% (cc. 1 600 Ft off)
      • Discounted price 14 399 Ft (13 713 Ft + 5% VAT)

    15 999 Ft

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    Product details:

    • Publisher OUP USA
    • Date of Publication 5 November 2015

    • ISBN 9780199996773
    • Binding Hardback
    • No. of pages226 pages
    • Size 244x152x25 mm
    • Weight 454 g
    • Language English
    • Illustrations 43, 41 line art, 2 halftone
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    Short description:

    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.

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    Long description:

    From airplanes to birds, the phenomenon of flight has always amazed and mystified humans. Therefore, it is unsurprising that scientists have invested a substantial amount of research into unraveling the secrets of flight evolution. Over the course of the past decade, the science of flight evolution has recently experienced a research renaissance, most of the information has been confined to the ivory tower of academia.
    In On the Wing, David Alexander delves into the evolution of flight in each of the four animal groups that evolved powered flight: insects, pterosaurs, birds, and bats. Alexander presents and compares each group's evolutionary history, including diversification and partial or complete extinction, especially as related to flight. The evolution of flight in animals is fascinating story riddled with scientific controversy and colorful characters, from the incredible Archaeopteryx to the recently-discovered feathered dinosaur Microraptor. Chapter topics include aerodynamics, comparisons and contrasts among the powered flyers, and the ultimate evolution away from flight. Alexander even examines the surprisingly diverse group of gliding animals, including squirrels, snakes, and ants.
    Through rigorous yet accessible writing, Alexander offers a comprehensive and engaging account of the evolution of flight, from dinosaurs to modern birds. On the Wing will delight and inform everyone from bird lovers to dinosaur enthusiasts, and offers key insights into the perpetual mystery of flight.

    In his book On the Wing, David Alexander [...] provides a carefully crafted and captivating introduction to animal flight. This volume is a timely contribution; decades past have seen several areas of research on animal flight explode with innovative techniques leading to many new findings [...] On the Wing is a good introductory textbook for amateur bird, bat, and insect enthusiasts, high schoolers getting into biology, and readers with a general devotion to science.

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    Table of Contents:

    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?

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