Fires of Life
Endothermy in Birds and MammalsA groundbreaking argument on how endothermy’arguably the most important innovation in vertebrate evolution’developed in birds and mammals
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. ISBN: 9780300227161, 0300227167
