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Brevum Curriculum Vitae - ALAN FEDUCCIA (2020)Position: S. K. Heninger Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Biology,University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.Education: Ph.D. ZoologyM.A. ZoologyB.S. ZoologyUniversity of Michigan, l969 (NSF Predoctoral Fellow)University of Michigan, l966Louisiana State University, l965 (pdf of 2008 museumarticle attached).Languages: French, Spanish, Italian (conversational).S. K. Heninger Distinguished Professor, University of North Carolina, 1994-2007 (emeritus).Chairman, Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, July 1997-2002. Chairman,Division of Natural Sciences, UNC, 1996-1997; resigned to become Chair. Associate Chair,Department of Biology, July, l982 -1992.Research Associate, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Institution, 1978-1987.William R. Kenan, Jr. Visiting Professor, Smithsonian Institution, 1978.Assistant, Associate, Full Professor, Biology UNC, 1971-74, 1974-79, 1979-2007.Assistant Professor of Biology, Southern Methodist University, 1970-71.Lecturer in Biology, University of Michigan, 1969.Fellow, American Ornithologists’ Union, 1976.Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1994.Who’s Who in America, 2004.Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, 2018.Naming Recognition:-Presbyorniformipes feduccii, 1995, Presbyornis-like webbed trackway (Eocene) named forAlan Feduccia who identified the trackmaker.-Confuciusornis feducciai, 2009, new species of 120-million-year-old, earliest beaked bird(below), named by Chinese scientists, for Alan Feduccia: “for his contributions to his study ofthe origin and evolution of birds.”1
-Feducciavis loftini, 2011, Miocene tern, named by Smithsonian scientist, for Alan Feduccia,citing “his many contributions to the study of fossil birds and his dedication to truth in thesearch for bird origins.”-Microraptor (four-winged Chinese fossil) named “Alan” for children’s book Comet’s JurassicAdventure (2017).- Alan Feduccia Distinguished Professorship, established by the University of NorthCarolina College of Arts and Sciences, 2008.Teaching and Lectures:College Lights Lecturer, fall, 1997.Favorite Faculty Award, Senior Class of 1997.Selected as a Carolina Speaker, 1998-present.Bowman and Gordon Gray Professorship forexcellence in undergratuate teaching, finalist, 1995.Who’s Who Among America’s Favorite Teachers, 1998.Invitee: Renaissance Weekend, 1996- present.Member, Oxford Round Table, Oxford University.Distinguished Lectures:-Plenary lecture, American Ornithologists’ Union, Winnipeg, 1976 (first presentation oftheory of “Bird Evolution’s Big Bang”).-Delta State University, Commencement speech (Honors Day), The WorldWe Live In, 1990.-Linnaean Society of New York, annual banquet lecture, 1997.-University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1997. College Lights Lecture.2
-Lehigh University, Department of Biology, Honors Day Lecture, 1998.-University of Michigan, Donald W. Tinkle Distinguished Lecture, 1998.-Appalachian State University, annual Sigma Xi lecture, 1999.-Plenary lecture, Society of Avian Paleontology and Evolution, Beijing, 2000.-German Ornithological Society, 250th Anniversary Lecture, Leipzig, Germany, 2000.-Texas A & M University, Biology Department, Honors Day Lecture, 2001.-Watkins Distinguished Visiting Professor, Wichita State University, 2002 (two lectures).-Smithsonian Institution, Distinguished Lecturer, 2002.-University of South Dakota, annual Geology Week Distinguished Lecturer, 2003.-Delta State University, Caylor-White Biology, building dedication speech, 2004.-Stephen F. Austin University, J. H. Burr, Jr. Distinguished Lecture, 2003.-Virginia Commonwealth University, annual Darwin Day Lecture, 2004.-San Diego Museum of Natural History, 2004, lecture, bird origins.-College of Charleston, Honors Day Lecture, 2005.-North Carolina Academy of Science, annual keynote lecture, 2006.-Smithsonian Institution Libraries, Keynote Address: Mark Catesby and his Natural History . . .An Introduction and Perspective, 2008.-Oxford University symposium lecture for Oxford Round Table: Darwin, Creationism andthe Development of Consensus Science, 2009.Notable interviews and profiles:-Discover, Top 50 science stories, 1993, 1996; Science News, News of the Year, 1995.Discover: Profile, Scientist of the Month, 1998, filmed interview; February 2003, NPR, AllThings Considered, Interview on ‘Origins of Flight’ by John Nielsen, Jan. 2003); ABC, Quantum(Australia), filmed interview on bird flight origins, 1993; MacNeil-Lahrer News Hour filmedinterview, 1995; BBC filmed interview on newly discovered Chinese fossils. NHK (Japan)filmed interview on bird origins, 1998. Numerous PBS appearances.Notable service:-Board of Governors, University of North Carolina Press, 1998-2006.-Board of Directors, UNCArts and Sciences Foundation, 2000-2007 (founding member, 1983).-Board of Trustees, NC Botanical Garden, 1997-2002.-Member, Committee for Endowed Chairs, 1996-1997.-Member, Committee on a Space for Science, 1996-2000.-Committee on Promotions and Tenure, College of Arts and Sciences, 1997-2002.-Chair, UNC Genome Sciences Building Design Committee, 1999-2003 (pioneered building,gained initial approval for building; 128,000 sq. ft. building completed Oct., 2012 (120 milliondollars). [http://genomics.unc.edu/events/gsbSymp/].3
-Member, College Planning Committee, Division of Basic and Applied Science, 1996.-Dean’s Advisory Committee (elected to two 2-yr. terms,1998-2002).-Member, UNC Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor Search Committee, 1999-2000.-Member, Review Committee, Program in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, 2003.-Chair, Committee on reappointment of the UNC Dean of the School of Medicine, 2001.-Faculty Advisor, Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, 1989-1992.-Consultant for Hiring, Tenure and Promotion: Harvard, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Duke,Smithsonian Institution, Kansas, Clemson, LSU, University of Florida, etc.-Member, Ecology Curriculum.-Member, Board of Directors, Organization for Tropical Studies, 1973-74.-Member, Curriculum Review Committee, College of Arts and Sciences, 1987-1990.-Member, Administrative Board, College of Arts and Sciences, 1987-90.-Member, Subcommittee on General Education, College of Arts and Sciences, 1989-90.-Member, Appeals Committee, College of Arts and Sciences, 1989-90.-Member, School of Medicine Curriculum Review Committee, 1982-83.Invited Lectures:30 invited lectures, 1996-2003: including, Duke University, Univ. of New Mexico (2 lectures),NC State University, Texas A & M University (Honors Day), University of North Carolina,Chapel Hill (Geology); University of Kansas, Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology(1997), N.C. State University (1997), University of Georgia (State of the Art Series on“Origins”), Georgia College and State University, University of Michigan (Tinkle MemorialLecture), Michigan State University, Lehigh University (Honors Day Lecture), AppalachianState University (Annual Sigma Xi Banquet lecture), Guilford College, UNC Greensboro(1998); New Bern, NC, Rothermel Foundation (evolution/creation debate), Old DominianUniversity (Darwin Day Lecture), Linnaean Society of New York (annual banquet lecture1997), Louisiana State University 1998 (two lectures), Clemson University, Plenary lecture forSociety for Avian Paleontology and Evolution, Beijing, 2000, Plenary lecture for 150thAnniversary Meeting of the German Ornithological Society, 2000, Watkins DistinguishedLecturer, 2001, Wichita State University, 2001 (two lectures), Smithsonian DistinguishedLecturer, fall 2002, Rutgers University, 2002; University of South Carolina, 2002; UNCCharlotte, fall, 2003, Linnaean Society of New York (2004), College of Charleston, 2005(Biology Honors Day), Stephen F. Austin State University, 2003 (Burr Distinguished Lecturer,Honors Day). (Plus, over 20 public NC lectures).2012-2013---Numerous book talks, entitled, “Avian Origins: Five Major Blunders ofPaleontology”---based on Riddle of the Feathered Dragons: Hidden Birds of China.4
Publication Summary: (author of 160 publications, including seven major books andvarious editions and translations, and five monographs):Books and Monographs:l973. Evolutionary Trends in the Neotropical Ovenbirds andWoodhewers. Ornithological Monographs, No. 13, iv 69pp., 20 text figures. (Ph.D. dissertation).l975. Structure and Evolution of Vertebrates: A Laboratory Text forComparative Vertebrate Anatomy. New York:W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. viii l68 pp., l25 ill.1975. Morphology of the Bony Stapes (Columella) in the Passeriformes andRelated Groups: Evolutionary Implications. University of Kansas,Museum of Natural History, Miscellaneous Publications 63: l-34; 7 figs.,l6 pls.l979. (with Theodore W. Torrey). Morphogenesis of theVertebrates. 4th ed., New York: John Wiley & Sons. xii 570 pp., 370 figs.l980. (with Storrs L. Olson, senior author). Relationshipsand Evolution of Flamingos (Aves: Phoenicopteridae).Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, 316, iii 73 pp.,40 figs. (Reviewed in Nature, Jan. 24, l981, andScience Digest, August, l981).l980. (with Storrs L. Olson, senior author). Presbyornis and theOrigin of the Anseriformes. Smithsonian Contributionsto Zoology, 323, iii 24 pp., l5 figs.5
l980. The Age of Birds. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. xi 208 pp., 76 halftones, and l32 line drawings. (Reviewed in:New York Times, Oct. 7, l980; Newsweek, Dec. 8, l980;Discover, Dec., l980; Washington Post, Dec. 7, l980; LosAngeles Times, Dec. l4, l980; Village Voice, Dec. 10, l980;Science, March l3, l981; Nature, April 23, l981, etc.).(winner of l981 American Association of University PressesAward for design).l982. (with Storrs L. Olson). Morphological Similarities Between theMenurae and the Rhinocryptidae, Relict Passerine Birds ofthe Southern Hemisphere. Smithsonian Contributions toZoology, 366, iii 22 pp., l7 figs.l984. Es Begann am Jura-Meer. Die faszinierende Stammesgeschichte derVogel. German ed. The Age of Birds. Hildesheim, Germany: GerstenbergBuchuerlag, l98 pp.l985. The Age of Birds. Japanese ed., Tokyo: Shisaku Sha, 336 pp.l985. Catesby's Birds of Colonial America. Chapel Hill:Univ. of North Carolina Press, xvi 176 pp., 111 blackand white and 20 color plates.l987. The Age of Birds. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.Paperback edition. xi 208 pp.l989. Birds of Colonial Williamsburg: A Historical Portfolio.Williamsburg, Virginia: The ColonialWilliamsburg Foundation. 162 pp.,70 watercolors by Douglas Pratt).l991. (with E. McCrady). Torrey's Morphogenesis of the Vertebrates. 5thed., New York: John Wiley & Sons, 517 p.1996. The Origin and Evolution of Birds. New Haven: Yale UniversityPress, 432 pp, 534 illus. (winner, Professional and ScholarPublishing Award, Excellence in Biological Science, Associationof American Publishers; candidate Pulitzer Prize (GeneralNonfiction), and1999. The Origin and Evolution of Birds, 2nd Ed. New Haven: Yale UniversityPress, 466 pp.6
2004. The Origin and Evolution of Birds, Japanese Edition.2012. Riddle of the Feathered Dragons: Hidden Birds of China. New YaleUniversity Press, 358 pp. (see book review blurbs below).7
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Selected recent titles, 1993-present:Earlier, selected papers: Feduccia, A. 1967. The amphirhinal condition in the Passeriformes.Auk 79:453-455; Feduccia, A. 1968. The Pliocene rails of North America. Auk 85:441-453;Feduccia, A. 1972. Variation in the posterior border of the sternum in some tree-trunkforaging birds. Wilson Bulletin 81:315-328; Feduccia, A. 1973. Dinosaurs as reptiles.Evolution 27:166- 169; Feduccia, A. 1973. A new Eocene zygodactyl bird. Journal ofPaleontology 47:501-503; Feduccia, A., and B. H. Slaughter. 1974. Sexual dimorphism inskates (Rajidae) and its possible role in differential niche utilization. Evolution 28:164-168;Feduccia, A. 1974. Another Old World vulture from the New World. Auk 86:251-255;Feduccia, A. 1974. Morphology of the bony stapes in New and Old World suboscines: newevidence for common ancestry. Auk 91:427- 429; Feduccia, A. 1976. Hypothetical stages inthe evolution of ducks and flamingos. Journal of Theoretical Biology 67:715-721; Feduccia,A. 1977. The whalebill is a stork. Nature 266:719- 720; Feduccia, A. 1977. A model for theevolution of perching birds. Systematic Zoology 26:19- 31; Feduccia, A. 1978. Presbyornisand the evolution of ducks and flamingos. American Scientist 66:298-304; Feduccia, A., andH. B. Tordoff. 1979. Feathers of Archaeopteryx: asymmetric vanes indicate aerodynamicfunction. Science 203(4384):1021-1022; Olson, S. L., and A. Feduccia. 1979. Flight capabilityand the pectoral girdle of Archaeopteryx. Nature 278:247-248. Feduccia, A., and M. R.Voorhies. 1979. Miocene hawk converges on secretarybird. Ibis 131:349-354; Feduccia, A.1985. On why the dinosaur lacked feathers. In: TheBeginnings of Birds, pp. 75-79; Feduccia,A. 1991. A preliminary study of skeletal pathology of birds in zoos and its implications.Proceedings of the Twentieth International Ornithological Congress, 1930-1936; Feduccia, A.1992. Crowned cranes (Gruidae: Balearica) in the Miocene of Nebraska. Los Angeles Co.Museum of Natural History, Science Series 26:239-248.Feduccia, A. 1993. Evidence from claw geometry indicating arborealhabits of Archaeopteryx. Science 259:790-793. (with color coverpainting by John P. O’Neill, and commentary, pp. 764-765, by VirginiaMorell; Discover - top 50 science stories of 1993).Feduccia, A. 1993. Aerodynamic model for the early evolution offeathers provided by Propithecus (Primates, Lemuridae). Journal ofTheoretical Biology 160:159-164.Feduccia, A., and R. Wild. 1993. Birdlike characters in the Triassicarchosaur Megalancosaurus. Naturwissenschaften 80:564-566. (withcolor cover painting by John P. O’Neill).10
Feduccia, A. 1994. Aerodynamic model for the evolution of feathers andfeather misinterpretation. Courier Forschungsinstitut-Senckenberg 18:6577.Feduccia, A. 1994. The great dinosaur debate. Living Bird 13(4):28-33.Hou, L.-H., Z. Zhou, L. D. Martin, and A. Feduccia. 1995. A beaked bird fromthe Jurassic of China. Nature 377:616-618. (Discover - top 100 sciencestories of 1995).Feduccia, A. 1995. Explosive evolution in Tertiary birds and mammals.Science 267:637-638. (also see: Janzen, D. H. 1995. Who survived the Cretaceous?Science 268: 785).Feduccia, A., L. D. Martin, and J. E. Simmons. 1996. Nesting dinosaur.Science 272:1571.Hou, L.-H., L. D. Martin, Z. Zhou, and A. Feduccia. 1996. Earliest adaptiveradiation of birds revealed by newly discovered Chinese fossils. Science274:1164-1167.Burke, A. C., and A. Feduccia. 1997. Developmental patterns and theidentification of homologies in the avian hand. Science 278:666-668.(with commentary by R. Hinchliffe, pp. 596-597).Burke, A. C., and A. Feduccia. 1998. Counting the fingers of birds and dinosaurs.Science 280:355.Feduccia, A., and L. D. Martin. 1998. Theropod-bird link reconsidered. Nature 391:754755.Feduccia, A. 1998. Feathers: an ancient perfection. Yearbook of Science and theFuture, feature article, pp. 70-87. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica.Martin, L. D., Z. Zhou, L. Hou, and A. Feduccia. 1998. Confuciusornis sanctus comparedto Archaeopteryx lithographica. Naturwissenschaften 85:286-289. (Color coverpainting by Douglas Pratt).Hou, L.-H., Martin, L. D., Z. Zhou, and A. Feduccia. 1999. A diapsid skull in a new species ofConfuciusornis. Nature 399: 679-682.11
Feduccia, A. 1999. 1,2,3 2,3,4: Accommodating the cladogram. Proceedings of the NationalAcademy of Sciences 96: 4740-4742.Geist, N. R., and A. Feduccia. 2000. Gravity-defying behaviors: identifying models forProtoaves. American Zoologist 40:664-675.Jones, T. D., J. Ruben, L. D. Martin, E. V. Kurochkin, A. Feduccia, P. F. A. Maderson,W. J. Hellenius, N. R. Geist, and V. Alifanov. 2000. Nonavian feathers in a late Triassicarchosaur. Science 288: 2202-2205. (Commentary: Feathers, or flight of fancy?, by E.Stokstad, 2124-2125).Feduccia, A. 2001. The problem of bird origins and early avian evolution Journal fürOrnithologie 142:139-147. Plenary lecture for the 150th anniversary of the GermanOrnithological Society, Leipzig, Oct. 2000.Feduccia, A. 2001. Palaeoecology (Communications arising): fossils and avianevolution. Nature 414:507-508.Degernes, L. A., and A. Feduccia. 2001. Tenectomy of the supracoracoideusmuscle to deflight pigeons (Columbia livia) and cockatiels (Nymphicushollandicus) Journal of Avian Surgery 15(1):10-16.Feduccia, A. 2002. Evolution of birds and avian flight. In: The Cornell Lab ofOrnithology Home Study Course in Bird Biology, 2nd Ed. (Podulka, S., Rohrbaugh,R., and Bonney, R., Eds.), Pp. E1-34. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY.Feduccia, A. 2001. Digit homology of birds and dinosaurs: accommodating thecladogram. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 16(6): 285.Feduccia, A. 2002. Pseudo-homeosis in avian feet. Trends in Ecology andEvolution, 17(6): 256.Feduccia, A., and J. Nowicki. 2002. The hand of birds revealed by early ostrichembryos. Naturwissenschaften, 89(9): 391-393 (with color cover; highlighted inEditor’s Choice. Science, 297:1611).Feduccia, A. 2002. Birds are dinosaurs: simple answer to a complex problem.Auk 119(4):1187-1201. (No. 17 most accessed paper, 274 times, three year period).Feduccia, A. 2003. Bird origins: problem solved, but debate continues.Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 18(1): 9-10.Feduccia, A. 2003. “Big bang” for Tertiary birds? Trends in Ecology andEvolution, 18: 172-176.12
Feduccia, A. 2003. When dinosaurs fly (Letters to the Editor). Discover 24(4):8.Feduccia, A. 2003. Review of: ‘Mesozoic Birds: Over the Heads of Dinosaurs,’Edited by L. M. Chiappe, and L. M. Witmer (2002, Berkeley, Univ. of California Press).Quarterly Review of Biology 78(2):216-217.Feduccia, A. 2003. Review of: Dinosaurs of the Air: the Evolution and Loss of Flightin Dinosaurs and Birds, by Gregory S. Paul (2002, Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Univ.Press, 460 pp.). Auk 120:916-917.Feduccia, A., T. Lingham-Soliar, and J. R. Hinchliffe. 2005. Do feathereddinosaurs exist? Testing the hypothesis on neontological and paleontologicalevidence. Journal of Morphology 266:125-166.Feduccia, A. 2006. Mesozoic aviary takes form. Proceedings of the NationalAcademy of Sciences 103:5-6.Feduccia, A., L. D. Martin, and S. Tarsitano. 2007. Archaeopteryx: Quo Vadis? Auk124:373-380.Lingham-Soliar, T., A. Feduccia, and X. Wang. 2007. A new Chinese specimenindicates that ‘protofeathers’ in the Early Cretaceous theropod dinosaurSinosauropteryx are degraded collagen fibers. Proceedings of the Royal Societyof London B 274:1823-1829.Feduccia, A. 2009. A colorful Mesozoic menagerie. Review of: FeatheredDinosaurs: The Origin of Birds (John Long). Trends in Ecology and Evolution24:409-410.Feduccia, A. 2009. Archaeopteryx. Pp. 422-424, In: Ruse, M., and J. Travis, eds. Evolution: theFirst Four Billion Years. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.Burnham, D., A. Feduccia, et al. 2011. Tree climbing: a fundamental avianadaptation. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology DOI:10.1080/14772019.2010.522201.Feduccia, A. 2011. Cretaceous avian crops reveal dietary secrets and poseevolutionary questions. Proceeding of the National Academy ofSciences 108(40):16487-16488.Feduccia, A. 2012. Opinion: The Big Idea. Is it a bird? Is it a dinosaur? NewScientist, 28 April:28-29.13
Zhang, Z., A. Feduccia, and H. James. 2012. A Late Miocene accipitrid (Aves:Accipitriformes) from Nebraska and its implications for the divergence of OldWorld vultures. PLoS ONE 7(11):1-8. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048842.Feduccia, A. 2013. Bird origins anew. Auk (Perspective) 130(1):1-12. (No. 11 most accessedarticle, 259 times, within 3 yr. period).Feduccia, A., D. Burnham, and D. Maio. 2013. In memoriam: Larrry Dean Martin, 1943-2013.Auk, 130:804-806.Feduccia, A. 2013. Review of: The Unfeathered Bird by Katrina van Grouw (PrincetonUniversity Press, 2013). Emu 113:193-194.Feduccia, A. (with S. A. Czerkas). 2014. Jurassic archosaur is a non-dinosaurian bird. Journal ofOrnithology 155:841-851. (No. 1 most downloaded paper for Journal of Ornithology for2014).Feduccia, A. 2014. Avian extinction at the end of the Cretaceous: Assessing the magnitude andsubsequent explosive radiation. Cretaceous Research 50:1-15. (No. 1 most accessed anddownloaded paper for Cretaceous Research for 90 days following publication; downloaded817 times, April – December 2014; featured in Elsevier’s Virtual Issue of selected articles).Feduccia, A. 2015. Topsy-turvy bird phylogeny. Pp. 118-119, In: Martinius, A. W., and A.Cullum, eds. 52 Things You Should Know About Palaeontology. London: Agile Libre.Feduccia, A. 2016. Bird flight origins. Pp. 231-240, In: Kliman, R. M., ed.,The Encyclopedia ofEvolutionary Biology. Oxford: Academic Press.Feduccia, A. 2015. Testing the neoflightless hypothesis: Propatagium reveals flyingancestry of oviraptorosaurs. . Journal of Ornithology 156(4):1067-1074.Feduccia, A. 2016. Fantasy vs reality: a critique of Smith et al.’s bird origins. The OpenOrnithology Journal 9:14-38.Feduccia, A. 2018. Cretaceous reverie: review of Birds of Stone: Chinese Avian Fossils fromthe Age of Dinosaurs, by L. Chiappe and Q. Meng. The Open Ornithology Journal11(1):27-33.14
Alan Feduccia, Brief Biography:An evolutionary biologist, Alan Feduccia earned the designation of S. K. Heninger Distinguished Professor(now emeritus) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to coming to UNC, he was Lecturer inzoology at the University of Michigan, and Assistant Professor Biology at Southern Methodist University. Hereceived his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1969 and B.S. from Louisiana State University in 1965.At LSU he participated in a number of zoological expeditions to Central and South America.At UNC, he served as Chair of the Department of Biology between 1997 and 2002, and Chair of the Divisionof Natural Sciences, 1996-97; and prior to that as Associate Chair from 1982-92. He was William R. Kenan, Jr.Visiting Professor, Smithsonian Institution, 1978, and a Smithsonian Research Associate until 1987. He wasalso Watkins Visiting Professor at Wichita State University in 2002. As Chair of Biology he focused on buildingstrength in genome science, hiring numerous new faculty and pioneering the UNC genome Sciences Building(120-million-dollar project), dedicated in 2012. Feduccia notably served for a decade on the UNC Press Boardof Governors, and on the Board of Directors of the UNC Arts and Sciences Foundation. Three new fossil birdscarry his name, and in 2008, the University of North Carolina established the Alan Feduccia DistinguishedProfessorship.Feduccia has been invited to present innumerable distinguished lectures, including Smithsonian DistinguishedLecturer in 2002. His university teaching earned him the distinction of a Favorite Faculty Award, senior class of1997; and he has appeared on numerous filmed interviews including the McNeil/Lehrer Report, the BBC, NHK(Japan), ABC (Australia), as well as NPR commentaries. Feduccia has served as a Nominator for the "JapanPrize." He is a Fellow the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the AmericanOrnithological Society; and was awarded the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.His publication record includes more than 160 research articles, monographs and seven major books. Duringthe 1970s, he proved the unity of Neotropical and Old World tropical birds (suboscines) by showing strikingsimilarity of middle ear bones (stapes), which led to new insights into biography and land bird evolution. Helater, following years of embryological studies, discovered that ostriches possess a vestigial thumb and outerdigit, proving that birds have a basic pentadactyl hand, reduced symmetrically to the three middle fingers; thisproblem dated back to the 1820s.Feduccia showed in the 1970s that early Paleogene fossil birds had mosaic skeletons, and along with lack ofmajor protein amino acid differences (working with Allan Wilson, Berkeley), and the fact that major orderswere present shortly after the K-Pg extinctions, led to the concept of “Bird Evolution’s Big Bang,” that birdsand mammals underwent a massive extinction at the end of the Cretaceous, and a subsequent explosiveevolution. This theory, first presented in 1976 and published in Science in 1995, was widely criticized fordecades, but has recently been proven by whole genome comparisons.Feduccia gained notoriety for writing the first modern synthesis of avian evolution. Comments on The Age ofBirds (Harvard University Press 1980, German & Japanese), included: "a revelation of clarity and synthesis . . .Feduccia---himself a leading anatomist---has brought together startling new evidence on the reptilian-avian
relationship . . . science writing at its best," (Dillon Ripley, Secretary, Smithsonian Institution), and it wastermed "definitive" by the New York Times. His texts on anatomy/embryology were Structure and Evolution ofVertebrates (W. W. Norton, 1975), and Morphogenesis of the Vertebrates (With T. Torrey, John Wiley & Sons,1979, 1991); and books relating to natural history during the colonial period include Catesby’s Birds of ColonialAmerica (UNC Press, 1985), and Birds of Colonial Williamsburg: A Historical Portfolio (Colonial WilliamsburgFoundation, 1989). The Origin and Evolution of Birds (Yale University Press 1996, lead science book, 2nd ed.,1999, Japanese), termed by Harvard’s eminent evolutionary biologist Ernst Mayr as "the foundation fromwhich all future investigations of avian relationships will start,” was winner of the Association of AmericanPublishers 1996 award for Excellence in Biological Science. The book was called “a masterpiece bothtechnically and artistically,” and a Science review (1997) noted that, “it will remain the premier document onearly evolution of birds for years to come.” His latest book Riddle of the Feathered Dragons: Hidden Birds ofChina (Yale University Press, 2012) attempts “to make the case for dismantling the current orthodoxy thatbirds represent the last living dinosaur . . .” An early review described it, “lucid and entertaining,” and KeithThomson (paleontologist and former Dean, Yale’s Graduate School) called it “a marvelous essay . . . itwonderfully captures the fluid state of our knowledge.” Review from the Library Journal noted, “[Feduccia is]the perfect person to write a serious inquiry of the current reigning belief that the last dinosaurs evolved intopresent-day birds . . . ,” and another review noted, “his ability to deal with the new evidence in such anunbiased and creative manner is the mark of a uniquely sharp and innovative scientific mind.”15
Below: LSU Museum of Natural Science, Museum Quarterly, October 2008:6.16
2 -Feducciavis loftini, 2011, Miocene tern, named by Smithsonian scientist, for Alan Feduccia, citing "his many contributions to the study of fossil birds and his dedication to truth in the search for bird origins." -Microraptor (four-winged hinese fossil) named "Alan" for children's book omet's Jurassic Adventure (2017). - Alan Feduccia Distinguished Professorship, established by .
