Feathers The Evolution of a Natural Miracle
Feathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle by Thor Hanson, published by Basic Books on July 31, 2012, is an illustrated exploration of the fascinating world of feathers. This 352-page book delves into their evolutionary significance, tracing their history over more than 100 million years. Hanson combines insights from various fields, including paleontology, biology, and art history, to present a comprehensive narrative about the roles feathers play in nature and human culture.
Readers will find a detailed examination of feathers as both a biological marvel and a cultural artifact. The book discusses their functions in flight, insulation, and attraction, while also highlighting their impact on design and fashion. Through Hanson’s engaging prose, the narrative invites readers to consider the multifaceted significance of feathers, from their role in the natural world to their historical uses in human society.
Official synopsis Publisher
As seen on PBS’s American Spring Live, one of America’s great nature-writers explores the magic and science of feathers
Feathers are an evolutionary marvel: aerodynamic, insulating, beguiling. They date back more than 100 million years. Yet their story has never been fully told.In Feathers, biologist Thor Hanson details a sweeping natural history, as feathers have been used to fly, protect, attract, and adorn through time and place. Applying the research of paleontologists, ornithologists, biologists, engineers, and even art historians, Hanson asks: What are feathers? How did they evolve? What do they mean to us?
Engineers call feathers the most efficient insulating material ever discovered, and they are at the root of biology’s most enduring debate. They silence the flight of owls and keep penguins dry below the ice. They have decorated queens, jesters, and priests. And they have inked documents from the Constitution to the novels of Jane Austen.
Feathers is a captivating and beautiful exploration of this most enchanting object.
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