The Hawaiian Honeycreepers
The Hawaiian Honeycreepers

Author: H. Douglas Pratt

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2005-05-12

Total Pages: 361

ISBN-13: 0191524034

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The Hawaiian Honeycreepers are typified by nectar feeding, their bright colouration, and canary-like songs. They are considered one of the finest examples of adaptive radiation, even more diverse than Darwin's Galapagos finches, as a wide array of different species has evolved in all the different niches provided by the Hawaiian archipelago. The book will therefore be of interest to evolutionary biologists and ecologists, as well as professional ornithologists and amateur bird watchers. As with the other books in the Bird Family of the World series, the work is divided into two main sections. Part I is an overview of the Hawaiian Honeycreeper evolution and natural history and Part II comprises accounts of each species. The author has produced his own outstanding illustrations of these birds to accompany his text.

Ecology and Evolution of Darwin's Finches (Princeton Science Library Edition)
Ecology and Evolution of Darwin's Finches (Princeton Science Library Edition)

Author: Peter R. Grant

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2017-03-14

Total Pages: 482

ISBN-13: 1400886716

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After his famous visit to the Galápagos Islands, Darwin speculated that "one might fancy that, from an original paucity of birds in this archipelago, one species had been taken and modified for different ends." This book is the classic account of how much we have since learned about the evolution of these remarkable birds. Based upon over a decade's research, Grant shows how interspecific competition and natural selection act strongly enough on contemporary populations to produce observable and measurable evolutionary change. In this new edition, Grant outlines new discoveries made in the thirteen years since the book's publication. Ecology and Evolution of Darwin's Finches is an extraordinary account of evolution in action. Originally published in 1986. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Biology and Comparative Physiology of Birds
Biology and Comparative Physiology of Birds

Author: A. J. Marshall

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2013-10-22

Total Pages: 531

ISBN-13: 1483263797

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Biology and Comparative Physiology of Birds, Volume I focuses on the physiology, classification, characteristics, and geographical distribution, as well as the digestive, blood, and nervous systems, of birds. The selection first offers information on the origin of birds and adaptive radiation in birds. Discussions focus on relative resemblances of archaeopteryx to reptiles and birds, development of homoiothermy, locomotor and feeding adaptations, and adaptive radiation within families of birds. The book also examines the classification of birds and geographical distribution of living birds. The publication takes a look at the development of birds and integumentary system. Concerns include body shape, blood, urogenital, and nervous systems, muscles and limbs, endocrine organs, feathers, and development of patterns of melanin pigmentation. The book also ponders on skeleton, digestive system, and muscle structure of birds. The selection is a vital source of information for readers interested in the physiology of birds.