Lectures 22-24

There are 3 groups of flying vertebrates.

T

pterosaurs, birds, and bats

Birds are closely related to Sauropod dinosaurs, in particular the Velociraptor.

F

closley related to Theropod dinosaurs

The first bird fossil, Archaeopteryx, are from the Jurassic sediments found in Germany.

T

The Archaeopteryx had many reptalian-like characteristics.

T

Birds radiated during the late Cretaceous and Tertiary Periods.

T

During the Tertiary Period early in the Cenozoic Era, some mammals tried challenging the birds to dominate the terrestrial environment.

F

birds tried to challenge the mammals

Gastornis (historically called Diatryma) was a small herbivorous bird that was flightless from the Tertiary Period.

F

large carnivorous bird, was also a predatory bird

Birds are strictly endotherms.

F

endotherms or homeotherms

Birds are the coldest of all the vertebrates

F

warmest

The birds skeletal systems is well adapted for flight because it is extremely light but sturdy.

T

Pneumatic bones on birds are small bones that aren’t hollow.

F

large hollow bones. has cross structure to add strength

The trunk portion of birds forms rigid airframe which is a strong structure for attachment of wings.

T

The vertebrae of birds is not fused together.

F

they are fused together

Bird ribs are fused to sternum and vertebrae.

T

Birds have a small keeled sternum that does not attach to the muscles used for flying.

F

large keeled sternum that facilitates the attachment of flying muscles.

Ratites are a group of flightless birds that do not have a keel on their sternum.

T

The rigid trunk provides a strong structure for attachment of wings and wing muscles.

T

The synsacrum is composed of the sacral, lumbar, and cervical vertebrae fused with the pelvic bones.

F

sacral, lumbar, and CAUDAL

Birds always have four toes, three forward and one back.

F

not always

Birds toes are adapted to their ecology.

T

Roadrunners have two toes forward and backwards to help running.

T

Birds toes are used for capturing prey and perching.

T

Bird feathers are modified amphibian scales.

F

reptile scales

Feathers are composed of keratin.

T

Birds dont molt their feathers.

F

they do

The functions of bird feathers are for flight, insulation, buoyancy, camouflage, and advertisment.

T

Flight feathers such as contour feathers don’t provite shape or lift.

F

they do

Down feathers have a sturdy structure that provide insulation.

F

loose structure

Feathers trap air and increase buoyancy.

T

Camouflauge is used to avoid predators.

T

Semiplume feathers are advertiment feathers used to attract mates and territoriality.

F

filiplume feathers

Birds have dermal scales on their feet and legs.

F

epidermal scales

Birds have a four chambered heart with separation of pulmonary and systemic circulation.

T

Birds are positive pressure breathers.

F

negative

Birds dont have a muscular diaphragm.

T

The air sacs in birds enhance the unidirectional flow of air through lungs.

T

Air sacs increase the body weight of birds.

F

decrease

Air sacs do not help cool birds in warm weather. Sweat helps cool them down.

F

they do help cool birds

birds do not sweat

Air sacs act as shock absorbers for gliding birds.

F

diving birds

The larynx produce sounds in birds and are located at the top of the trachea.

F

does not produce sound, it can modulate sound.

The syrinx produces sound in birds.

T

Male birds usually use “bird songs” to advertise for mates and territoriality.

T

“Bird calls” are long sounds that are used as alarm calls or to contact calls between each other.

F

short sounds

Birds have all the basic feathers of reptilian brain but with a smaller cerebrum and cerebellum.

F

larger cerebrum and cerebellum.

The cerebral cortex is thin and poorly developed compared to mammals.

T

Birds have a “neocortex” which can also be found in reptilian brains.

F

lack “neocortex”

found in mammalian brains

Birds have 10 pairs of cranial nerves.

F

12

Bird eyeballs have a specialized structure, the “pecten”, that is highly vascularized and enhances blood flow to the retina, while not obscuring the vision with blood vessels.

T

Birds have ear holes and inner ear canals that are not covered by feathers.

F

outer ear canals

covered by feathers

Birds have good hearing used for: mate recognition, communication, detecting predators, etc.

T

Birds do not have a tympanic membrane but they do have multiple ear bones.

F

they do

single ear bone (the columella)

They have an opening to their nostrils on their upper beak.

T

Birds have larger olfactory bulbs than reptiles.

F

smaller

Olfaction in all birds are poorly developed.

F

not all birds but most birds.

Vultures have a good sense of olfaction.

T

Kiwi is a nocturnal flightless bird from New Hampshire with bad olfaction.

F

from New Zealand

good olfaction

Birds have loops of henle to concentrate their urine.

T

Birds urinary tracts are used to get rid of excess oxygen.

F

get rid of nitrogen

Uric acid acts as a nitrogenous waste product, and when it mixes with feces in the cloaca it produces “guano”.

T

Guano from birds is mined because it is rich in nitrogen and calcium.

F

nitrogen and phosphates

Birds have salt glands located above the eye.

T

Most birds are oviparous.

F

All birds

Birds lay eggs because developing young in their body would weigh too much, so it would be difficult for the females to fly.

T

To help reduce weight, only the right ovary and oviduct develops in most species of birds.

F

left

Greater Praire Chickens use “booming” as a form of masculinity.

F

advertisment for females

Bowerbirds, live in Australia and New Guinea, their form of courtship behavior is decorating their Bowers.

T

Bowers are their homes.

Precocial birds are not well developed when they hatch and are born featherless.

F

well developed. born with down feathers

Artricial birds are not well developed when they hatch and are born featherless.

T

Newborn birds have an imprint on their mothers due to her being around.

F

hormones are produced after hatching that allow bonding.

Konrad Lorenz is famous for being one of the founders of animal behavior studies.

T

Young ducklings were imprinted to Konrad Lorenz.

F

young geese.

Female birds are colorful while male birds are more dull because they sit on eggs to protect them.

F

males= colorful

females= dull for protection

Female bird oviducts are well developed and deposits albumin and egg shell.

T

Male birds have an intromittent organ.

F

they dont have an intromittent organ

Male birds are colorful, ornate, and vocal in attempt to attract female birds and to defend their territory.

T

Flight in birds allows for short-distance movements.

F

long

Bird movements are between spring and summer breeding grounds and winter feeding grounds.

T

Bird migration allows birds to minimize day lengths which reduces feeding.

F

maximize day length

enhances feeding

Birds fly south for the summer and north for the winter.

F

S- winter

N- summer

Longer day lengths occur in the summer.

T

Northern breeding has fewer predators and large numbers of insects, which can be used to feed their young.

T

White pelicans migrate to Michigan to breed.

F

Canada

There are approximately 54,500 living mammal species.

F

5450

Mammals are structurally related to Theropods.

F

Therapsid reptiles.

Mammals first appear in the fossil record during the Triassic

T

(could possibly say start of the Mesozoic)

The first mammals were large insectivors.

F

small

Mammals did not radiate until the Tertiary period of the Cenozoic Era.

T

Mammals become the dominate in the Mesozoic Era.

F

Cenozoic Era

The most succesful group of living mammals are the marsupials.

F

placentals

Placentals have a better reproductive system than Marsupials and Monotremes.

T

Reptile skin is more advanced than mammal skin.

F

mammal better than reptile

Mammal hair is important for insulation, and it is a better insulator than feathers and it is also less bulky.

T

Hair can be used for coloration (e.g. camo, sexual dimorphism, display)

T

Hair in mammals is more wind resistant than bird feathers.

F

less

Whiskers are used for protection.

F

tacticle sensation

Horns can be shed seasonally.

F

antlers

Horns are made out of vascularized skin (velvet).

F

sheaths of cornifies epithelium (keratin) which surround a bony layer

Antlers are made out of vascularized skin (velvet)

T

Horns can only be grown by males.

F

both sexes

Horns are not branched.

T