![]() ![]() ![]() It is now generally accepted that birds have evolved from meat-eating dinosaurs. The discovery of Archaeopteryx, a crow-sized fossil with feathers and the skeleton of a reptile, just two years after the publication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species, was the beginning of a century-long controversy over the evolution of birds, with a consensus reach only recently. As far back as 30,000 years ago, our ancestors recorded their fascination with birds in cave drawings. In fact, feathers were the highest-value cargo carried on the ill-fated Titanic. In this wide-ranging study of our feathered friends, the author also looks at the many uses of feathers throughout history, from featherbeds and down quilts to arrows and pens, and as a fashion statement “in fans, dusters, boas, floral arrangements, and in the fringes of cloaks and shawls,” as well as women's hats. ![]() When a vulture feather accidentally dropped at his feet as he watched the birds fly overhead, field biologist and conservationist Hanson ( The Impenetrable Forest, 2000) felt called upon to choose feathers as the subject of his next book. ![]()
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