Taking Wing: Archaeopteryx and the Evolution of Bird Flight - Softcover

Species, the scientific world was set aflutter by an amazing discovery: a fossil skeleton exquisitely preserved, even to the impressions of individual feathers on its wings, had been found in the Bavarian region of Germany. Researchers determined that the unique coupling of its avian feathers and reptilian toothy skull offered tangible proof of the theory of evolution. Hailed as First Bird, Archaeopteryx became a celebrity among fossils, the subject of heated debates that have escalated over the past 130 years. Are birds actually living dinosaurs? Where does the fossil record really lead? What does it mean to fly? Taking Wing is a brilliant piece of detective work, deftly exploring how the thinking about the mysteries of flight has developed up to the present day.

Pat Shipman is an anthropologist at Pennsylvania State University.