Aves

Question 1

what did birds evolve from

Answer 1

small running, therapod dinosaur
very similar skeletons

Question 2

what was the first bird

Answer 2

archaeopterynx

Question 3

explain archaeopteryx

Answer 3

150 million years old
reptilian skeleton but with true feathers
bones closely resemble pheasants

Question 4

explain hoatzin

Answer 4

primitive living bird
retains claws and wings as chick

Question 5

explain anchiornis

Answer 5

earliest known feathered reptile (dino)
160 million years old

Question 6

what one characteristic is unique to birds and separates them from all other chordates

Answer 6

feathers

Question 7

what did feathers evolve from

Answer 7

reptilian scales

Question 8

what makes possible adaption do birds have

Answer 8

flight by feathers

Question 9

explain structure of a feather

Answer 9

barbs arise from the main feather shaft; each barb has its own shaft from which the barbules arise

Question 10

what is remiges

Answer 10

flight feathers
primaries provide forward propulsion to move the bird through the air
secondaries provide lift to keep the bird in the air

Question 11

how are the primaries able to provide forward propulsion

Answer 11

asymmetrical vanes: the leading vane is relatively narrower than the trailing vane, so that the primary twists as it is pulled downward, acting like a propeller

Question 12

what is Bernoulli effect

Answer 12

secondaries provide lift using curved wing

Question 13

explain high speed wings

Answer 13

swallow

Question 14

explain soaring wing

Answer 14

seagull

Question 15

explain high lift wings

Answer 15

hawk

Question 16

explain elliptical wings

Answer 16

flycatcher

Question 17

what type of wings do hummingbird and barn swallow have

Answer 17

high speed wings
longer than wide
no wing slots

Question 18

what types of wings do house sparrow, woodpecker, and doves have

Answer 18

broad rounded wings
wing slot
good maneuverability
low speed flight

Question 19

what type of wings do royal albatross have

Answer 19

soaring and gliding wings
much longer than wide
good over water

Question 20

what type of wings to vulture, hawk and bald eagle have

Answer 20

long slotted wings
terrestrial soaring birds
can carry heavy thigns

Question 21

what is the fastest living animal

Answer 21

Peregrine Falcone
top diving speed of 273 mph

Question 22

what feathers are responsible for braking, maneuverability and also provide some lift

Answer 22

rectrices (tail feathers)

Question 23

what are down feathers

Answer 23

barbules that do not interlock
evolved for the purpose of insulation

Question 24

explain bird pectorials

Answer 24

attaches on the ventral humerus
responsible for the downstroke of a birds wing

Question 25

explain bird supracoracoideus

Answer 25

attaches on the dorsal humerus responsibly for the upstroke of a birds wing

Question 26

ventral

Answer 26

belly

Question 27

dorsal

Answer 27

back

Question 28

posterior

Answer 28

booty butt

Question 29

anterior

Answer 29

head

Question 30

where is pictorials and supracoracoideus on birds

Answer 30

Question 31

how does a bird perch

Answer 31

toes automatically tighten around a perch when they land on it, enabling them to perch with a min of muscular effort resist freezing

Question 32

explain respiratory system of bird

Answer 32

one way flow of air through lungs increases respiratory efficiency

Question 33

explain air flow in one direction

Answer 33

Question 34

what do air sacs do

Answer 34

reduce weight, which increases power/weight ratio

Question 35

what flight adaption do bones have

Answer 35

extension of the air sacs penetrate hollow bones reinforced by struts

Question 36

what other avian adaptions further increase the power/weight ratio of birds

Answer 36

birds have a large heart

Question 37

explain repro system of female birds

Answer 37

sexual organs atrophy during the non-breeding season and only the left ovary develops during the breeding season

Question 38

warm blooded

Answer 38

homeothermic

Question 39

cold blooded

Answer 39

poikilothermic

Question 40

what allows birds to have a much greater metabolic rate

Answer 40

being homeothermic

Question 41

explain bird brain

Answer 41

cerebral cortex of bird is not associated with higher behavioral processes as it is in mammal higher behavioral processes are centered in the dorsal ventricular ridge (DVR) cerebellum relatively large in birds

Question 42

what are some things compared to reptiles that birds have

Answer 42

olfactory lobe reduced optic lobe is large cerebellum greatly enlarged

Question 43

explain bird vision

Answer 43

extremely good visual acuity, due to much greater density of cone cells in fovea of retina (1.5 mil cone in avian fovea, 200k for human fovea) fovea is region of keenest vision nocturnal birds with many rod cells visual acutiy of a hawk is 8 times that of a human, enabling it to see a rabbit more than 2 miles away

Question 44

explain bird repro

Answer 44

oviparous (eggs that hatch after they have been laid)

Question 45

what are altricial young

Answer 45

born blind, naked and helpless

Question 46

what is precocial young

Answer 46

born fully feathered and mobile

Question 47

explain bird migration

Answer 47

regular seasonal movement undertaken by many species of birds

Question 48

cat fact about birds

Answer 48

1.8-4 billion birds are killed each year by cats

Question 49

how many north American birds have vanished since the 70s

Answer 49

3 billion