Fires of Life: Endothermy in Birds and Mammals
(By Barry Gordon Lovegrove)
Read Ebook | Size | 25 MB (25,084 KB) |
|---|---|
| Format | |
| Downloaded | 640 times |
| Last checked | 12 Hour ago! |
| Author | Barry Gordon Lovegrove |
This pioneering work investigates why endothermy, or “warm-bloodedness,” evolved in birds and mammals, despite its enormous energetic costs. Arguing that single-cause hypotheses to explain the origins of endothermy have stalled research since the 1970s, Barry Gordon Lovegrove advances a novel conceptual framework that considers multiple potential causes and integrates data from the southern as well as the northern hemisphere. Drawing on paleontological data; research on extant species in places like the Karoo, Namaqualand, Madagascar, and Borneo; and novel physiological models, Lovegrove builds a compelling new explanation for the evolution of endothermy. Vividly narrated and illustrated, this book stages a groundbreaking argument that should prove provocative and fascinating for specialists and lay readers alike.”
