Riddle of the Feathered Dragons

February 15, 2012

With over 40 years' experience as an evolutionary biologist, Feduccia (biology, emeritus, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; The Origin and Evolution of Birds) is a recognized bird expert. (Chinese paleontologists even named a new species, Confuciusornis feducciai, in his honor in 2009.) He is, then, the perfect person to write a serious inquiry of the current reigning belief that the last dinosaurs evolved into present-day birds. Given the recent discovery of many fossils of marvelous feathered dinosaurs in China, this theory seems to have been set in stone. However, Feduccia draws attention to the misinterpreted fossils, conflicting data, and flawed interpretations that many have used as support. He draws on publications in prominent scientific journals to springboard his proposal that scientists should reevaluate their belief that dinosaurs evolved into birds and suggests that serious consideration be given to the possibility that, rather than a linear descent, a separate group of ancestors, predating dinosaurs, served as the catalyst for bird evolution. VERDICT Highly recommended for paleontologists, scientists, and specialists in this field.--Gloria Maxwell, Metropolitan Community Coll., Penn Valley, Kansas City, MO

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.