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Ornithology > Test 1 > Flashcards

Test 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Aristotle

A

Wrote ‘Historia Anamalia’

(first written description of some bird species and their life history)

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2
Q

Archaeopteryx

A

Link between therapod dinosaurs and modern birds

Found in 1861 (2 years after Darwin’s ‘Origin of Species’)

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3
Q

When did birds first evolve

A

mid-late Jurassic (155-170 mya)

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4
Q

Beta-keratin

A

Type of keratin only found in birds that makes up their feathers

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5
Q

Arboreal Theory

A

Theory of flight that suggests birds first flew by climbing and jumping off treetops/cliffs

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6
Q

Adaptive Radiation

A

When a single species (common ancestor) rapidly evolves into many new species

ex: Hawaii birds

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7
Q

Pygostyle

A

Shortened and fused tail vertebrate in birds

Differentiates them from therapod dinosaurs

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8
Q

Allopatric Speciation

A

Speciation that occurs when two populations are separated

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9
Q

Hybridization in Birds

A

Birds usually don’t hybridize and they experience hybrid inferiority. This is because birds are assortive maters

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10
Q

Contour Feathers

A

Outer body feathers

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10
Q

Rectrices

A

Tail feathers

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11
Q

Remiges

A

Flight feathers

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12
Q

Semiplumes

A

Between down and contour feathers (supports the contours)

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13
Q

Filoplumes

A

Tiny hair-like structures used to detect slight changes in wind, temp, and air pressure

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14
Q

Powder Downs

A

Downs that continuously break into powder

Waterproofs and protects from parasites

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15
Q

Pennaceous

A
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16
Q

Vane

A

The flat smooth surface formed by barbs and barbules coming out of the rachis

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17
Q

Rachis

A

shaft of a feather

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18
Q

Afterfeather

A

fluffy part at the base of the feather

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19
Q

Pterylae

A

Part of the bird where feathers attach

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20
Q

Apteria

A

Area of the birds skin where feather do not attach

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21
Q

Biochrome pigments

A

melanins (dark colors)
carotenoids (colors gotten through diet)
porphyrins (blues and greens)

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22
Q

Eumelanin

A

greys and browns

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23
Q

Phaeomelanin

A

rusty colors

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24
Cryptic Camoflauge
blends in with surroundings
25
Disruptive Camoflauge
Stripes or spots to break up the body
26
Uropygial Gland
oil gland at the base of the tail a bird uses to oil its feathers
27
Camber
Curved nature of a birds wing/feathers
28
Alula
thumb like appendage birds use to control the amount of drag on their wings
29
Thermal Soaring
Birds using areas of rising hot air to stay up
30
Dynamic Soaring
When birds create lift heading into the wind them using the elevation gain to glide sideways ex: Shorebirds along the shore with winds coming from offshore
31
Wing Loading
ratio of wing mass and body mass
32
Aspect Ratio
ratio of wing length vs height
33
Quadrate
square bone that articulates a birds jaw
34
Sclerotic Ring
Ring around a birds eye that helps them focus on things
35
Occipital Condyle
Bony protuberance on the back of the skull that allows the head to move Birds have 1 while humans have 2
36
Crop
Used to store food, some enzymes here Birds store food in crop instead of mouth for better center of gravity while flying
37
Proventriculus
Before the gizzard, acids and enzymes are released here
38
Gizzard
muscular organ birds use to grind up food using swallowed rocks
39
Cloaca
single opening where excrement, uric acid, and reproductive fluid all come out of
40
Ceca
holds bacteria that help break down plant matter
41
Syrinx
voice box
42
LCT and UCT
lower and upper critical temp. Animal cannot tolerate temps outside of this. (Shivering, sweating)
43
How does activity affect metabolism?
While in torpor birds can tolerate lower temps. Less activity lowers metabolic needs
44
How does size affect metabolism?
increased body size means less surface area (for heat exchange) per unit mass Smaller birds need higher metabolisms to maintain body temp because of greater surface area to mass ratio
45
Counter-current Heat exchange
Where warm arterial blood going to the extremities warms up vein blood coming back so to not have cold blood going back to the center of the body
46
Pecten
centralized blood and nerve tissue at the back of the eye to leave more retina surface for light capture
47
Auricular Feathers
ear feathers
48
Columella
a birds singular inner ear bone
49
Hippocampus
Part of the brain responsible for memories. Birds can grow this
50
Ultimate Cues
Cues for a bird to migrate that we recognize but birds do not necessarily ex. escaping cold temps, going to more food
51
Proximal Cues
cues for a bird to migrate that they actually recognize. ex: photoperiod
52
Zugunrhue
a period of restlessness/anxiety in birds about to migrate
53
El Nino
Reduces food availability and sometimes causes bird species not to breed in certain years
54
Similarities between therapod dinos and birds
fused furcula pneumatized bones small bone cells upright, bipedal locomotion
55
Two forces that affect the genetics of a population and counter-balance each other
Gene flow and natural selection
56
Accipitriformes
hawks, kites, eagles, osprey
57
Cathartriformes
vultures
58
Caprimulgiformes
nighthakws/jars
59
Piciformes
woodpeckers
60
Columbiformes
doves, pigeons
61
Strigiformes
owls
62
Apodiformes
hummingbirds, swifts
63
Plumage types
juvenal basic alternate (breeding)
64
Iridescent Colors
structural colors, reflection and interference in barbules
65
How can birds cool off?
bird baths panting spreading wings to increase surface area ruffle feathers to allow heat exchange expose their legs shit on themselves
66
Runaway Selection
birds prefer more complex calls therefore more complex calls are selected for. This means songs get more and more complex over time until it becomes too long and detrimental to survival

Ornithology (2 decks)

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