18-19: Reptiles, Dinosaurs and Birds

Question 1

Three key features of ALL reptiles

Answer 1

Scales, Hard-Shelled Eggs, not solely Herbivorous

Question 2

Describe the differences between Therapsids and Diapsids

Answer 2

Therapsids have ONE hole behind the eye (while Diapsids have TWO), develop varied teeth and have a more upright gait

Question 3

Name the three main groups of Marine Reptiles (and where they fit in terms of classification)

Answer 3

Plesiosaurs, Icthyosaurs, Mosasaurs -> NOT Dinosaurs, these are all reptiles that returned to the water

Question 4

Pterosaurs were the first…

Answer 4

Vertebrates with powered flight

Question 5

Name the two groups of dinosaurs in terms of “hip shape,” and the sub-groups of each, with one example species for each subgroup

Answer 5

Saurischia:
- Theropoda (e.g. Tyrannosaurus)
- Sauropoda (e.g. Diplodocus)

Ornithischia:
- Ornithopoda (e.g. Hadrosaurus)
- Thyreophora (e.g. Stegosaurus)
- Marginocephalia (e.g. Triceratops)

Question 6

Define Precocial vs Altricial

Answer 6

Precocial: young are relatively mature/mobile
Altricial: young are immature/immobile

Question 7

What are some examples of precocial birds?

Answer 7

Chickens, Hoatzin, some Ducks and Geese

Question 8

What organ do birds have that allows them to make song?

Answer 8

Syrinx

Question 9

In how many separate lineages did bird song evolve?

Answer 9

At least 3

Question 10

What was the main ecological consequence of the evolution of flight?

Answer 10

It allowed a large range of niches to be explored