Ornithology exam I

Ecological function of birds

consume resources, nutrient deposition/transport, pollination, seed dispersal

how man families of birds are there?

193

keystone species

A species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend on

What are 3 examples of secondary cavity nesters?

White-breasted Nuthatch, Great-crested Flycatcher, Prothonotary Warbler

why is diversity important?

contributes to ecosystem function, diversity begets diversity, diversity begets stability

how many birds inhabit the planet?

300 billion

how many bird orders are there?

30

How many bird species are there?

~10,000

coevolution

Reciprocal evolutionary change among interacting species

Cascading trophic effects

The removal of a top predator causes restructuring of the entire food web

keystone species

A species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend on, importance > abundance; Yellow-bellied sapsuckers, woodpeckers

feathers

modified reptilian scales of protein beta-keratin which function in thermoregulation and flight

what is a bill?

always toothless, covered in bony sheath

avian digestive tract

modified GI system because they do not chew, includes the gizzard, which grinds unmasticated food.

what is unique about avian bones?

inside is strutted and mostly hollow

keeled sternum

feature of all flying birds, anchors flight muscles

avian respiratory system

one way respiratory system to meet high oxygen demand

what is an organism’s life history?

Organismal adaptations that affect its Darwinian fitness; how, when, where to allocate energy/resources

fecundity

number of offspring produced

ecology

The scientific study of the biotic and environmental interactions which affect the distribution and abundance of organisms

5 problems birds face

1) water/energy requirements 2) raising/dispersing offspring 3) protection against predators competitors, pathogens 4) finding/attracting good mates 5) protection from elements

the solutions to problems that all organisms face come from the modification of _ _

existing structures

biological evolution

The process of change in the inherited traits of a population from one generation to the next (decent with modification)

microevolution

A change in allele frequency in a population over time

macroevolution

process by which taxa are formed; viewed on long time scales

genetic drift

Random change in allelic frequency in a population over time

directional selection

Differential survival and/or reproduction in a phenotype that is not the mean; rapid changes in mean beak size of Darwin’s finches following periods of drought and rain

natural selection

Differences in survivorship or reproduction among entities that differ in one or more heritable characters

stabilizing selection

Consistently higher survival and/or reproduction in the intermediate phenotype; avian clutch size limited by parental care, too many or too little is suboptimal

furcular

two fused clavicles, provide strength without bulk

true or false: woodpeckers are primary cavity nesters

True

diversifying selection

consistently low survival and/or reproduction in the intermediate phenotype

founder effects

the genetic composition of a founding population

genetic bottleneck

when population reduction causes decreased frequency or loss of alleles

phylogenetic species concept

species are the smallest aggregate population that contains unique characters

isolation promotes…

speciation

what lineage of dinosaurs did the class aves evolve from?

theropod

when did archaeopteryx live?

125-151 MYA

3 pieces of evidence that archaeopteryx could not fly

1) flat sternum 2) teeth 3) long bony tail

3 extant supraorders of birds

1) Galloanseres 2) Paleognathae 3) Neoaves

4 members of Paleognathae order

ostrich, kiwi, cassowary, emu

3 members of anseriformes order

ducks, geese, swans (surface swimmers)

3 members of galliformes order

turkeys, grouse, pheasants, quail

True or false: feathers are skin structures

True

function of body contour feathers

reduce wind resistance and protect against the sun, wind, rain, and injury

function of down feathers

provide lightweight insulation

function of filoplumes

monitor movement and position of adjacent veined feathers

function of semiplumes

enhance insulation, aerodynamic contouring, and courtship ornamentation

function of bristles

specialized feathers that serve sensory and protective functions

what are the primaries and secondaries of the wing called?

remiges

what are tail feathers called?

retrices

what do primary feathers provide in flight?

thrust

what do secondary feathers provide in flight?

lift

pygostyle

fused tailbone

5 feather types

1) body contour 2) down 3) semiplumes 4) filoplumes 5) bristles

3 main reasons for molting

1) feathers wear out 2) bright-colored feathers increase attractiveness 3) shed parasites

3 members of accipitriformes order

1) coopers hawk 2) sharp-shinned hawk 3) red-tailed hawk

3 members of cuculiformes order

1) cuckoos 2) anis 3) roadrunners

adaptive radiation

proliferation of multiple species from a common ancestor; Galapagos finches and their beaks being specialized for certain food sources

phylogeny

an evolutionary tree of taxa representing relationships derived from common ancestry

what order is the family tyrannidae in?

passeriformes

are members of the tyrannidae family subsoscines or oscines?

suboscines

what 2 orders make up the neognathaes?

1) galloanseres 2) neoaves

convergent evolution

evolution of ecologically similar forms from independent lines; Chesnut sided warbler and white breasted warbler

3 components of natural selection

1) more individuals produced than can survive 2) struggle for existence, limited resources keep population in check 3) heritable traits that increase an individual’s rate of survival/reproduction will tend to spread throughout population

3 characteristics of Paleognathes

1) no keeled sternum, no vaned feathers, no uropygial gland

life history tradeoffs

ducks produce 7- >12 a year, but Shearwaters only produce 1

what are 2 Passerine suborders

oscines, suboscines

what drives divergence in characteristics

character displacement- adaptive divergence in a trait resulting from interspecific competition

common cuckoos & brood parasitism

females specialize by matching their eggs to their hosts, males do not specialize; egg color is a sex linked chromosome; specialized groups called gents

functional shift in structural continuity

functions of a trait can change but the structure stays the same; feathers initially used for thermoregulation, now also used for flight

evidence archaeopteryx could fly

fused clavical and sternum, modified wrist element, feathers

allula

discovery that solidified modern flight, prevents stalling at low speeds

how much of a bird’s body mass is made up of feathers?

15-20%

how do feathers produce color?

structural and pigmentation

aspect ratio

length to width ratio, AKA lift to drag ratio

purpose of a partial molt

a complete molt leaves the bird vulnerable

2 functions of retrices

stearing, breaking

advantages and disadvantages of high aspect wing ration

stay in the air longer (lift), but makes it harder to take off (thrust)