On the Wing

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 Archaeopteryxto 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., This book provides a very accessible, well-illustrated synthesis of current understanding of how this most wondrous, rare, and beneficial of adaptations came to be. From birdwatchers to bug collectors, dinosaur enthusiasts, bat lovers, and even pilots, anyone with an interest in nature, evolution, and flight will enjoy this fascinating book. Highly recommended., Dependably engaging, On the Wing: Insects, Pterosaurs, Birds, Bats and the Evolution of Animal Flight, is an excellent book. It is extremely well-written, and balances discussion of all four taxa like no other published treatise on animal flight. Moreover,it is accessible to the general public while still providing enough depth (and appropriate references) for anyone who wants to further examine the evolution of flight. This book is a must-read for all graduate students who plan to work on the evolution or biomechanics of flight, regardless of what lineage(s) they study., Alexander tells us that this book had a long gestation; he started writing it in 2002. But if the writing was difficult the reading is easy; the book ranks highly on that score. But Alexander has not compromised on the scientific content, and he gives all the different views he describes a fair hearing while not hesitating to say where his own preference lies. This is definitely a book that I shall be reading more than once.

David Alexander grew up near Dayton, Ohio, and earned a B.S. at the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. at Duke University. He has been on the faculty of the University of Kansas for over 20 years.