Re: fossil bird books

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Michael Mortimer wrote:

> Unfortunately, the Cenozoic bird data included is just as outdated and 
> phylogenetically unsupported as the BAND section is.  Though I don't own 
> the book, I recall it supports such things as...
> - polyphyletic ratites, each derived from various neognaths.
> - Anseriformes and Phoenicopteriformes being sister taxa.
> - Presbyornis being at the base of the above assemblage.
> - Psittaciformes being derived from columbiformes.
> While there's no better book on Cenozoic birds out there, I'd suggest just 
> getting a lot of Mayr, Dyke and Livezey papers instead.

I'll second that!  There's lots of great Cenozoic bird papers out there, 
including descriptions of those spectacular and enormously helpful finds 
from the Messel.  For example, Mayr's recent paper in JVP describes 
_Messelastur_, a possible link between owls (Strigiformes) and diurnal birds 
of prey (Falconiformes).  We may yet unravel the mysteries of neornithine 
evolution...

Chris Glen wrote:

> The debate became more heated after the mid 1980's (see book 10 below), and 
> by the 1990's had reach full steam, opponents saying some terrible things 
> about the each other and their work both in scientific and non scientific 
> publications. It was during the 1990's that the chinese 'dinobird fossils' 
> where discovered which added heat to the debate.

These Chinese 'dinobird fossils' added more light than heat to the debate.  
The principal reason why the debate has become so heated lately is because 
opponents of a theropod origin of birds (Feduccia, &c) have had to come up 
with ever-more exotic explanations to account for these discoveries.  The 
latest is the 'birds are maniraptorans, but maniraptorans are not theropods' 
idea, which simply beggars belief.

> A lot of the background above is covered in this book, and Pat Shipman has 
> done a great job in covering the topic.

I have Pat Shipman's book (softcover, excellent condition) if anybody wants 
a copy (for the price of postage).

Cheers

Tim