Feathers
The Evolution of a Natural Miracle
by Thor Hanson
Mem. Ed. $7.99
Pub. Ed. $25.99
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Feathers
“Hope is the thing with feathers,” wrote Emily Dickinson, and you couldn’t hope for a more entrancing look at these evolutionary marvels than Feathers. Thor Hanson shares the insights of scientists, engineers and even art historians to show what feathers are, how they evolved and what they have meant to us.
Feathers silence the flight of owls, keep penguins dry beneath the ice, and have decorated queens, jesters and priests. In the book’s first section, Hanson explores the mystery of feather origins. Archaeopteryx may have been the earliest feathered dinosaur; experts argue over feathers’ earliest function, but one theory divides their evolution into stages leading up to flight.
Hanson then turns to feathers’ amazing insulating and cooling qualities; as we learn, the tiny Golden-crowned Kinglet thrives in temperatures of -17°F, and we visit the largest down and feather factory in the U.S. From here, Hanson explores how feathers allow birds to fly. Many ornithologists now judge a technique called WAIR (wing-assisted incline running) as the best flight evolution story; it provides incremental, adaptive stages between a bipedal, terrestrial ancestor and a flapping, feathered flier. Yet Hanson concedes that decoding every step in the evolution of flight is probably impossible.
The next section ponders the allure of feathers, from birds of paradise to the Vegas Strip; the market for women’s hats with elaborate feathers peaked at the turn of the 20th century. Finally, Hanson details how feathers continue to evolve, both in nature and in the myriad ways they’ve been adapted for human use, from waterproofing to fishing flies. An appendix details specific feather types.
Pick up Feathers and you’ll encounter science writing that soars.
Hardcover : 336 pages
Publisher: Basic Books Inc. ( May 31, 2011 )
Item #: 13-396016
ISBN: 9780465020133
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.25 inches
Product Weight: 16.0 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
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