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Vertebrates Quiz 1 > Birds 1 > Flashcards

Birds 1 Flashcards

1
Q

What order contains half of all bird species?

A

Passeriformes - perching birds

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2
Q

What is a major distinguishing feature of class aves?

A

bipedal vertebrates with feathers

- diverse and range from 2g to 100kg

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3
Q

Do all birds fly?

A

No

- some like the emu, penguin, and kiwi bird have lost this ability

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4
Q

What are 3 types of flight?

A

explosive - grouse
soaring - albatross
flap continously - hummingbird

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5
Q

Why are bird bills shaped so diversely?

A

adaptations to specific food sources

- corresponds to diet

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6
Q

What are woodpecker bills adapted for?

A

drilling and boring for insects

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7
Q

What are toucan bills adapted for?

A

fruit

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8
Q

What are flamingo bills adapted for?

A

filter feeding/ mud sifting

- staining/filtering feature of bill

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9
Q

Osprey bills are adaptded for?

A

fish

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10
Q

What protein are feathers made from?

A

Keratin

- modified scales

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11
Q

What are the 3 primary adaptive significance of feathers and what is the lesser 4th?

A

Thermoregulation
Display behavior - colouration, length, shape
Camouflage - opp. of display
Flying last (started for gliding and quick bursts, eventually selected for better and better)

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12
Q

What 3 parts is a feather composed of including the 2 parts of the shaft?

A

Rachis - Main shaft
Calamus - Quill
Vane - off the shaft

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13
Q

What are the vanes of a feather composed of and how do they work together?

A

Many barbs that branch into barbules that have hooklets that hook together the barbules in a tight network

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14
Q

What does preening do for feathers?

A

Re-hooks the hooklets and barbules

Re-zips the feather back together

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15
Q

Why do feathers need to be preened?

A

makes sure the feather acts as a single unit as air flows over it

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16
Q

What has happened to an ostrich’s feathers?

A

Lost the interlocking system of barbules and hooklets

  • evolution can work backwards
  • not selected for anymore, no negative effect of losing feature
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17
Q

What are the 4 main types of feathers?

A

Flight feathers (primaries - hands, secondaries - forearm, tail)
Contour feathers
Down feathers and semi-plumes
Filoplumes

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18
Q

What is the function of contour feathers?

A

cover the body for warmth

cover base of major flight feathers

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19
Q

What are 2 features of a contour feather?

A

may have an aftershaft - plume-like feather at base for extra warmth?
may lack hooklets at base (downy-like)

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20
Q

What is a feature of a down feather/ semiplume feather? What is the purpose?

A

have barbules but lack hooklets

provide insulation under feathers

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21
Q

What is a filoplume feather and what do they do?

A

hair or pin feathers
can be found among flight feathers
attached to sensory receptors in skin

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22
Q

When does molting occur?

A

A certain life stage - juvenille to adult

Seasonal

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23
Q

2 main broad types of molting

A

Complete - all tracts replaced in a short time

Partial - parts of tracts replaced piecemeal; primaries and/or tail often retained

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24
Q

What is the prebasic molt?

A

A typically complete molt that results in the basic plumage that occurs for most N.A. birts in late summer/fall

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25
Q

What is the prealternate molt?

A

A second partial molt resulting in alternate plumage (breeding or camouflage) that occurs in spring prior to mating

26
Q

What is Eclipse plumage?

A

Short lived basic plumage during the prebasic molt of male ducks (drakes) that renders them flightless
- drab looking

27
Q

When do drakes undergo prealternate molt and why?

A

Undergo in late fall instead of spring to attain breeding plumage and make pair bonds in winter

28
Q

What is the advantage of colourful plumage for a male duck?

A

Mate choice outweighs predator attraction

29
Q

Flight evolved in many different creatures, not just birds. What kind of evolution is this?

A

Convergent rather than divergent

30
Q

Aerodynamics: what is lift?

A

air flowing over an air foil creates lift

both wings and individual feathers act as airfoils

31
Q

Aerodynamics:what is drag?

A

reduces lift by slowing air moving over an airfoil (friction/turbulence)
- air doesn’t flow smoothly

32
Q

What is an airfoil?

A

structure that creates lift (suction upwards)

both wings and individual feathers act as airfoils

33
Q

What is an alula and what is the function?

A

wing slots that direct fast moving air over wing surface to reduce turbulence

34
Q

What is wing loading?

A

body/weight unit area of wing

35
Q

What is high wing loading?

A

wings small relative to body mass

rapid flapping flyers

36
Q

What is low wing loading?

A

Wings large relative to body mass

slow, long flyers, soarers

37
Q

What is aspect ratio?

A

ratio of wing lenght to width

38
Q

What is high aspect ratio?

A

long narrow wings

  • maximum lift and minimum drag, low turbulence
  • albatrosses and swallows
39
Q

What is low aspect ratio?

A

similar wing length and width

  • good control at low speeds, maneuverability (in shrubs and trees)
  • many passerines (perchers)
40
Q

4 main wing types

A

elliptical
high speed
dynamic soaring
high lift

41
Q

Describe elliptical wings

A

High wing load and Low aspect for high maneuverability at low speed, rapid take-off
large wing slots and alulas to reduce drag at low speed
- sparrow, owl, dove

42
Q

Describe high speed wings

A

High aspect ratio, high wing load
lack wing slots and alulas
tapered wing tips to reduce drag at high speed
- swallow, hummingbird, falcon

43
Q

Describe dynamic soaring wings

A

high aspect (high lift) and low wing load
lack wing slots or alulas
use wind shear above ocean
- albatross, frigate

44
Q

Describe high lift wings

A

Low aspect and low wing load
use thermal winds/ updrafts
wing slots and alulas for increasing lift at low speeds
- hawk, eagle, vulture

45
Q

How are bird bones adapted to reduce weight?

A

Hollow, often with struts
cross-stabilization so can get even hollower and thinner
many bones are fused, reduced or missing

46
Q

What is the furcula?

A

fused clavicles that make the wishbone

47
Q

What don’t birds have teeth? What do they have in place of teeth?

A

reduce weight

horny ridges instead and tiny rocks in gizzard that mill food to break it down

48
Q

Why do birds have such large keel bones on sternum?

A

to hold flight muscles (similar to bone crest on snake skull that holds jaw muscles)

49
Q

What are uncinate processes?

A

bone hooks that join ribs

50
Q

What is the synsacrum?

A

pelvis + 3 lumbar and 6 tail vertebrae

51
Q

What is the pygostyle?

A

fused tail vertebrae to which tail feathers attach

52
Q

Why are flight muscles attached to the keel?

A

convenience and the fact that a low center of mass is important for flight

53
Q

Why do birds have numerous neck vertebrae?

A

results in greater neck flexibility

54
Q

What are red and white muscle fibres for?

A

red - aerobic activity, sustained flight, walking

white - anaerobic activity, explosive flight

55
Q

Why do bird feet have so many diverse shapes?

A

adapted diversity based on lifestyle (walking vs. flying vs. perching vs. swimming vs. prey capture

56
Q

Describe 4 features of lower limbs and feet

A

possess bones, tendons, skin, scales
lack muscles
resistant to cold and freezing
locking mechanism when perching and grasping prey

57
Q

What part of the body do birds walk on?

A

toes

58
Q

What are 4 main parts of a bird leg?

A

knee, ankle, tibia, tarsus

59
Q

Name and describe 3 types of feet with respect to toes?

A 
Anisodactyl - 3 toes forward, 1 back
(passerines, hawks, eagles)
Syndactyl - 3rd and 4th does fused
(belted kingfisher)
Zygodactyl - 2 forward, 2 back
(woodpeckers, flickers, nuthatches, parrots)
60
Q

What are osprey feet adapted for?

A

long curved talons for catching fish
can be aniso or zygodactyl
spikes on bottom of feet

61
Q

Why band hummingbirds?

A

they are important pollinators (warm-blooded - all year)
monitor population increase and decrease
find migration patterns
learn about longevity, physiology, range, fidelity (go back to same places), breeding

Vertebrates Quiz 1 (16 decks)

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