Lab 4: Archosaur Species

Question 1

Archosauria*

Crocodylomorpha*

Answer 1

(Crocodilia) (crocodilians) – all living forms are large predators specialized for aquatic life in tropical and subtropical fresh and/or marine waters.

Nasal openings are at the tip of the snout.

Jaws bear teeth in sockets.

Epidermal scales cover the feet and ventral surfaces.

A protective covering of dermal plates covers the back.

Distinctive internal features include:
i) a secondary palate, forming the roof of the mouth, which separates the nasal and oral passages and
ii) a four-chambered heart.

Many species show parental care of eggs and young.

Third opening on top of head
Five digits
To post orbital Finestra

Question 2

Dinosauria*
Saurischia
Theropoda*
Maniraptoria
Avialae (“flying dinosaurs”)
Order Archaeopterygiformes (Archaeopteryx)

Answer 2

Saurischia lizard, hipped dinosaurs were birds, originate from

Theropoda, feathered Raptors and bipedal walking

Question 3

Aves* (birds)

Neornithes*

Answer 3

• There is much debate on the classification of birds.

There are currently over 10,000 species of modern birds that are separated into 36 recognized orders of Neornithes.

In lab we will emphasize orders that have Albertan and/or Canadian representation. (Based on Lovette, I.J. and J.W. Fitzpatrick. 2016. Handbook of Bird Biology, 3rd Ed. Cornell University. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Question 4

Palaeognathae

Answer 4

Ancient jawed birds

Has to do with the way their jaw is connected to the skull

Question 5

Palaeognathae

Order Struthioniformes

Answer 5

includes the ratites (e.g., emus, ostriches, rheas and kiwis) and the tinamous.

All are found primarily in the southern hemisphere and are united by shared features of the jaws and skull.

With the exception of the tinamous, they are flightless birds.

Flightless birds
Three toes forward, one toe back, walking more than gripping
Generalist, beak, or long, thin beak
Longer than normal neck
Typically long legs

Question 6

Neognathae

Answer 6

Modern jawed birds/ new jaws

35 orders that are divided into 2 groups: the Galloanseres and Neoaves

Question 7

Neognathae

Galloanseres

Answer 7

Galloanseres most basel group, combination of water and ground fowl

Question 8

Neognathae

Galloanseres

Order Anseriformes

Answer 8

(screamers, ducks, geese, swans) – medium to large birds specialized for aquatic life; all swim well and are strong fliers. Most go through extensive migration. The characteristic flattened bill is used to feed on a variety of diets – a few filter-feed, some eat mollusks, and some eat fish.

Flat beaks filter/sieve/bottom feeding or plant feeding
Three toes webbed, and one is not the back one
Most likely retains gland to help maintain health of feathers
May migrate
Parental care intense

Question 9

Neognathae

Galloanseres

Order Galliformes

Answer 9

(grouse, pheasants, quail, fowl, turkey) – medium to large terrestrial, grain eating birds. Good runners, capable of short, rapid flights. Often distinct differences between sexes in size and plumage.

Feathers may be on toes
Three toes forward one toe back
Peacocks have filoplume feathers
Generalist beaks
Some don’t have Bristle feathers around
Round. Birds that can fly, but ain’t good at it.

Question 10

Neognathae

Neoaves (33 orders)

Order Podicipediformes

Answer 10

(grebes) – medium sized to large aquatic birds with feet that have lobed toes. Agile swimmers and divers propelled by feet. Eat fish and invertebrates.

Long beaks for fishing
Long necks
Toes have separate webbing
Three toes forward, one toe back
Semiplumes/contours feathers
Water fowl

Question 11

Neognathae

Neoaves

Order Columbiformes

Answer 11

(doves, pigeons) – small to large-sized birds with a worldwide distribution. Most have a muscular gizzard, and all have a large crop, the lining of which secretes a substance known as “pigeon’s milk”, which is fed to nestlings.

Iridescence is structural colouration
Rock pigeons nests are bad because he only need to find a few sticks to help the egg not fall off the cliff
Three toes forward one back
Generalist, narrow beak
Orange feet
Parental care present

Question 12

Neognathae

Neoaves

Order Caprimulgiformes

Answer 12

(nightjars, poorwills, pootoos, frogmouths, oilbirds, swifts, hummingbirds) – includes nocturnal, crepuscular and diurnal birds. Most of the nocturnal species have a small, weak bill with a very large mouth opening, enabling them to capture insects on the wing; long bristles that aid in catching prey often surround the bill. The diurnal swifts and hummingbirds are small birds very well adapted for aerial life. The stiff wings are long and composed of a short humerus and elongated hand. Feet and legs are tiny. Swifts catch insects on the wing. Hummingbirds are primarily nectar feeders and feed while hovering.

Cryptic colouration
White side to side, beak, insect feeders
Pretend to be ends of branches
Have depressed like body
Order apodiformes —> hummingbirds, apod means no feet they have feet they just pull them close to the body when flying
Small
Very colourful structural and pigment colouration
Swifts have very thin wings
Meant for speed
Insect eating at dusk
Bristles around beak act like whiskers

Question 13

Neognathae

Neoaves

Order Cuculiformes

Answer 13

small to medium-sized, slender, usually long- tailed birds with a zygodactyl foot. Some species are nest parasites, laying their eggs in the nest of other bird species.

Variation in beaks, long and wide up and down insect feeders
2 toes forward 2 toes back
Iridescent colour is a structural colouration

Question 14

Neognathae

Neoaves

Order Gruiformes

Answer 14

(rails, coots, cranes) – a varied order with diagnostic characters mainly anatomical. Of medium size, rails are mostly terrestrial living near marshes and have an omnivorous diet. They run and swim readily but are poor fliers. Cranes are large, long-legged wetland birds and are omnivorous.

Long necks some
Thin, long beaks for fishing
Black tipped wings for extra
Big can be white top to bottom
3 toes forward one toe back
Coots have the expansion of their beak that goes all the way to their skull

Question 15

Neognathae

Neoaves

Order Charadriiformes

Answer 15

snipes, plovers, sandpipers, avocets, phalaropes, jaegers, gulls, terns, skimmers, auks) – one of the most diverse orders with 19 families. Plovers and sandpipers are gregarious, small to medium-sized wading birds that live mostly in wetlands and along shorelines. Most have long legs and/or long bills and feed chiefly on small invertebrates. Of medium to large body size, gulls and terns are strong fliers adapted to both the terrestrial and aquatic environments and are generally omnivorous. Auks are medium-sized, wing-propelled divers that hunt fish and invertebrates in a marine habitat.

Webbed toes only the front three not the back one
Variation in beaks , long, generalist, thick top to bottom which is for wading and shorebird beaks - filter, pointed upwards beaks
Live around water or cliffs
Fishers
Some have black tipped wings which is stronger migration potential
Relatively long legs
Relatively long and narrow beaks, potentially for probing feeding

Question 16

Neognathae

Neoaves

Order Gaviiformes

Answer 16

loons) – these divers are large aquatic birds of northern lakes. They swim with their webbed feet and eat fish and invertebrates.

Sharp beaks for fishing
All for toes are webbed
Slick body and live on water

Question 17

Neognathae

Neoaves

Order Suliformes

Answer 17

(frigatebirds, boobies, gannets, cormorants, anhingas) – most are considered to be seabirds, but cormorants can also be found in freshwater habitats and anhingas are exclusively freshwater. Medium to large in body size that lack external nostrils. Many species are colonial breeders.

Question 18

Neognathae

Neoaves

Order Pelecaniformes

Answer 18

(herons, storks, ibises, spoonbills, pelicans) – large birds, most of which are waders with long legs and necks, living mainly in marshes. Most feed on fish and other aquatic animals. Pelicans have a long bill with an expandable gular pouch to scoop up multiple small fish and are strong flyers.

Long necks and long legs
Some have all 4 webbed toes
Long, and or elaborate beaks
Live around water
Pelicans have the throat pouch
Fishers

Question 19

Neognathae

Neoaves

Order Cathartiformes

Answer 19

(New World vultures) – a small group of raptorial birds found only in North and South America. They feed primarily on carrion and some species have an excellent sense of smell. They are only distantly related to Old World vultures.

Have elongated head/beak for getting into dead prey, carrion eating
Most don’t have bristle feathers around their face

Question 20

Neognathae

Neoaves

Order Accipitriformes

Answer 20

(hawks, eagles, kites, Secretary-birds) - these are diurnal raptors, or birds of prey. Medium to large birds that hunt by day, having strong, sharp, curved bills and powerful claws and feet. Skilled at flapping flight or soaring. Most feed on birds and mammals, some on carrion, and a few on amphibians and reptiles.

Hook like big for prey ripping meet
Three toes forward, one toe back
Eyesight is important
Elongated talons
Brown grays, and whites

Question 21

Neognathae

Neoaves

Order Strigiformes

Answer 21

(owls) – specialized for hunting at night and convergently resemble Accipitriformes in their beaks, claws, and feet. Owls detect prey mainly by sound and show many specializations for acute hearing. The eyes contain mostly rods and are directed forward. Feathers are modified to make little noise during flight. Mediums to large species eat birds and mammals, small owls ear insects.

Binocular eyes
Ear holes are not symmetrical
2 toes forward to toes back, which is good for gripping and perching
Talons for pray
Beak hooked and small
Colouration is cryptic
Something about eye bones provides extra support, maintain their shape, which means they have better vision
Broader skulls

Question 22

Neognathae

Neoaves

Order Coraciiformes

Answer 22

(kingfishers, rollers, bee-eaters, motmots, todies) – medium to small tree-dwelling birds. Mainly tropical. Often brightly colored with large prominent bills. Feed on small vertebrates and large invertebrates.

Colourful structural colouration
Long beaks for fishing or bug catching or piscivorous
Small
3 toes forward 1 toe back

Question 23

Neognathae

Neoaves

Order Piciformes

Answer 23

(woodpeckers, jacamars, puffbirds, barbets, toucans) – medium to small tree-dwelling birds. Many species are tropical. Woodpeckers specialized for climbing and boring for insects living in wood. The bill is very hard and powerful and the tongue protrusible. Tail feathers are used to support the bird as it climbs and have zygodactyl feet.

Because long and has extra support
Long tong
Big wide up and down = toucan
Woodpecker = long tongue it goes around its head
Thick side to side beak is for insect hunting
Medium to small
2 toes forward 2 toes back

Question 24

Neognathae

Neoaves

Order Falconiformes

Answer 24

(falcons, caracaras) – a diverse group of diurnal raptors that are found worldwide, although caracaras are restricted to the New World. Most are fast aerial predators that catch their prey in their talons in mid-air. Diagnosed by tomial tooth – a notch in the beak, used to break the neck of small prey animals. Caracaras are largely scavengers.

3 toes forward, one toe back
Small hooked beak for pray
Cliff living
Tominal tooth, in between the upper and lower jaws. There’s a corner on the beak that has a notch on it. This helps with diving after small, prey items and breaking their neck rapidly.
Parental care present
Eyesight important

Question 25

Neognathae

Neoaves

Order Passeriformes

Answer 25

(perching or songbirds) – order contains 137 families and more than 50% of the living bird species, most are small. Found in nearly all terrestrial habitats. All with four toes (3 forward, 1 back) arranged to facilitate the gripping of perches. Nearly all exhibit complex reproductive behavior. All species rely on audile communication and many produce complex songs. Diets are varied concentrating on insects, seeds, fruit or nectar. Some examples include New World flycatchers, larks, swallows, crows, magpies, jays, titmice, chickadees, nuthatches, creepers, wrens, kinglets, thrushes, waxwings, starlings, shrikes, vireos, wood warblers, buntings, grosbeaks, New World sparrows, longspurs, blackbirds, finches, Old World sparrows.

Most are medium to small
Colourful , blue colouration due to structural colouration
Generalist beaks , wide up and down, which is for seed eaters (granivorous), also insect eaters
3 toes forward 1 back
Frgivorous too
Males, food, gathering, females, brooding, protect babies from the environment and predators
Most diverse group
Shows the value of having many specimens of one species = female versus male, winter versus spring, young versus old