Avian growth and development : evolution within the altricial-precocial spectrum

Introduction 1. Patterns of Development: The Altricial-Precocial Spectrum 2. Embryonic Development 3. Structural Variants and Invariants in Avian Embryonic and Postnatal Development 4. Energy Metabolism, Gas Exchange, and Ventilation 5. Development of Temperature Regulation 6. Development of Locomotion and Endothermy in altricial and precocial birds 7. The Endocrine System 8. The Immune System 9. Development of Behavior 10. Variation, Constraint, and Phylogeny. Comparative Analysis of Variation in Growth 11. Internal Constraints on Growth in Birds 12. Developmental Plasticity 13. Genetic Aspects of Growth 14. Causes of Growth Variation and its Consequences for Fitness 15. Models for Avian Growth and Development 16. The Evolution of Developmental Mode in Birds 17. Data Set of Avian Growth Parameters Summary, Conclusions, and Research Agenda