The only book available that examines one of the great mysteries of evolution-the origins of flight in the animal kingdom and the controversial link between dinosaurs and birds. Did the great reptiles die out 65 million years ago, or were they well on their way to evolving into the creatures we know as birds? World-renowned paleontologist Philip J. Currie examines the evidence and arrives at some startling conclusions. Features some of the most bizarre species of birds to have ever evolved, including giant flyers with 24-foot wingspans and ground-dwellers weighing over 400 pounds. The author, recognized as the worldis leading expert on predatory dinosaurs, has been featured numerous times in television series such as PBS's Nova and in Walter Cronkite's Dinosaurs."