The parrot in the mirror : how evolving to be like birds made us human / Antone Martinho-Truswell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Martinho-Truswell, Antone, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Birds--Behavior.

Birds.

Human-animal relationships.

Human evolution.

Evolution (Biology).

Physical Description:

213 pages, 4 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some colour) ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford, United Kingdom ; New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2022]

Summary:

"This book explores animal evolution and behaviour to explain how humans and birds came to share so much. How did we come to be so bird-like? Considering the answer to this question leads to an examination of the animal world that highlights fundamental and profound aspects of biology. The book looks at the value of movement in animals; the way in which traits such as intelligence, size, long life span, and the birth of very immature young are all interconnected. Above all, it assesses how even very different forms of life, experiencing similar evolutionary pressures from their environments, can hit on similar solutions - the phenomenon known as convergent evolution. It is that which lies at the root of our bird-ishness"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: 1. How Did We Get Here?

2. A Long and Happy Life

3. Bird Brains

4. Till Death Do Us Part

5. Learning to Sing

6. Parrots in the Mirror.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 188-208) and index.

ISBN:

9780198846109

019884610X

OCLC:

1295103530