Intro
Preface
Acknowledgments
Contents
1: Origin and Evolution of Birds
1.1 Early Ideas About the Origin and Evolution of Birds
1.2 Current Views About the Origin and Evolution of Birds
1.3 Early Events in the Evolution of Birds
Box 1.1 Unidirectional Lung Ventilation
1.4 The Age of Dinosaurs
Box 1.2 A New Dinosaur Family Tree?
1.5 Theropods: Coelurosaurs
1.6 Theropod Locomotion
Box 1.3 Avian Forelimb Digits
1.7 Bones and Growth Rates
Box 1.4 Evolution of Endothermy
1.8 Body Size
1.9 Limb Length
1.10 Digestive and Reproductive Systems

1.11 Avian and Non-avian Theropods
1.12 The First Birds
Box 1.5 Loss of Teeth
Box 1.6 Evolution of the Avian Sternum
Box 1.7 Flying Ability of Mesozoic Birds
1.13 Ornithuromorpha (Also Known as Euornithes)
1.14 Neornithines
Box 1.8 The K/Pg Mass Extinction
Box 1.9 Avian Tree of Life
Box 1.10 Palaeognathae Evolution
Box 1.11 Galloanseres Phylogeny
Box 1.12 Limits to Phylogenetic Resolution
Box 1.13 Who Survived the End-Cretaceous Mass Extinction and Why?
Box 1.14 Strisores Phylogeny
1.15 Diversification After the K-Pg Mass Extinction
1.16 Passeriformes

Box 1.15 Avian Interchange Across the Panama Land Bridge
1.17 Present-Day Birds
Box 1.16 Zoogeographical Realms
Box 1.17 Seabirds
References
2: Skeleton and Skeletal Muscles
2.1 Bone Structure
Box 2.1 Bone Microstructure
2.2 Evolution of the Avian Skeleton
2.3 Pectoral Girdle and Forelimb
2.4 Pelvic Girdle and Hindlimb
Box 2.2 Which Digits Were Lost?
Box 2.3 Evolution of the Avian Wrist
Box 2.4 Avian Humeri
2.5 Axial Skeleton
2.5.1 Skull
2.5.2 Teeth
2.5.3 Cranial Kinesis
Box 2.5 Mandibular Bowing of Pelicans

Box 2.6 Darwinś Finches, Adaptive Radiation, and Evolution
Box 2.7 Hawaiian Honeycreepers
2.5.4 Sternum and Rib Cage
Box 2.8 Bony Cranial Protuberances of Birds
Box 2.9 Rapid Adaptive Evolution of Bill Length
2.5.5 Vertebral Column
Box 2.10 Variation in Avian Sternums
Box 2.11 Neck Length and Body Mass: Birds vs. Mammals
2.5.6 Vertebral Column-Tail
2.6 Avian Skeletal Muscles
2.6.1 Flexibility in Muscle Mass
Box 2.12 Pygostyle Morphology
2.6.2 Fiber Types
Box 2.13 Skeletal Muscle Anatomy and Function
Box 2.14 Superfast Muscles of Some Manakins

2.6.3 Locomotion
Box 2.15 Myosin Isoforms
Box 2.16 Divided Pectoralis of Soaring Birds
2.6.4 Feeding
Box 2.17 Marvelous Tails (and Rectricial Bulbs) of Marvelous Spatuletails
2.6.5 Extrinsic Eyeball Muscles
2.6.6 Vocalizing
2.6.7 Thermoregulation
Box 2.18 Woodpecker Drumming Muscles
References
3: Integument
3.1 Skin: Structure and Function
Box 3.1 Evolution of Avian Skin
3.2 Unfeathered and Colored Skin
3.3 Specialized Epidermal Structures
3.4 Cutaneous Nervous System
3.5 Podotheca
3.6 Spurs
3.7 Claws
3.8 Rhamphotheca
Box 3.2 Keratins