Shipman Authors New Book On Origin Of Bird Flight

1-21-98
University Park, Pa. -- "Taking Wing, Archaeopteryx and the Evolution of Bird Flight" is the title of a new book published this week by Simon & Schuster that will be featured as the cover story in the Jan. 25 New York Times "Book Review" section. Its author, Pat Shipman, adjunct associate professor of anthropology at Penn State, will be signing copies of her book at Svoboda's Bookstore on Burroughs Street in State College on Saturday, Jan. 24, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

The book describes the heated scientific debate over the origin and evolution of flight in birds, beginning with the discovery of the first feathered fossil of Archaeopteryx lithographica--one of the most famous fossils ever discovered. This discovery rocked the world in 1861 with its strong support for Darwin's then-new theory of evolution. Shipman reviews more than 130 years of theory and controversy over this species, including questions about whether it could fly, whether it was a transitional species between reptiles and birds, and whether it actually is the "First Bird" or an odd species of feathered dinosaur. Her book includes the important and controversial bird and dinosaur fossils discovered during the last two years.

Reviewers describe the book, which is written for a general audience, as being "well structured as any mystery novel." The New York Times review says "Shipman brings to her excellent book the authority of a paleontologist and the talent of an accomplished writer of science for popular audiences. Her narrative is alive with stories of the many people,

historical and living, who have puzzled and argued over the meaning of the fossil bird." Shipman is a writer of "typically elegant prose," according to Publisher's Weekly, and a "sure guide through the fascinating subject of how flight originated in birds," according to Audubon Magazine.

Shipman's earlier popular science books include "Wisdom of the Bones," which she co-authored with her husband Alan Walker, distinguished professor of anthropology and biology at Penn State. Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf and in England by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, "Wisdom of the Bones" received the General Prize in the 1997 Rhone-Poulenc Prizes for Science Books--an award described as the most prestigious prize for science writing in the English language. Shipman's popular science books also include "The Evolution of Racism," published in 1994 by Simon & Schuster, and "The Neandertals: Changing the Image of Mankind," written with Erik Trinkaus and published in 1993 by Knopf.

Contact:
Pat Shipman: (814) 231-1549, e-mail pls10@psu.edu