Eggs ID Flashcards
1
Q
When did it become illegal to possess eggs of any wild bird in the UK?
A
1981
2
Q
How to distinguish bird and reptile eggs?
A
Reptiles - white/cream but birds may have colour.
Reptile eggs rubbery due to lack of calcium.
3
Q
What morphologogical features of eggs may help identify species?
A
Size - correlates to bird size.
Shape - may indicate ecology.
Patterns - vary
4
Q
How else can eggs be identified?
A
DNA
5
Q
Advantages of eggs as forensic evidence.
A
- Can lift fingerprints and DNA from surface to link person
2. Treeclimbing irons and other equipment may link a person to egg collecting
6
Q
Disadvantages of eggs as forensic evidence.
A
Need a reference sequence for DNA - more difficult than reference sample of the egg itself (museums) as animal DNA database still growing.
