Deck 27: Birds

Question 1

Evidence indicates that birds are the sister group of the

A)pterosaurs.
B)theropod dinosaurs.
C)therapsid reptiles.
D)stem diapsids.
E)anaspids.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Archaeopteryx is

A)an extinct "bird-like" dinosaur.
B)an insect-eating bird that is rare in the United States but somewhat common in South America.
C)the most primitive of the living birds.
D)a primitive therapsid from which birds eventually evolved.
E)a hoax made to resemble an intermediate between reptiles and birds.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Where would you locate the Supracoracoideus and pectoralis muscles of a bird?

A)Under its tail feathers
B)In the neck controlling the voice box
C)In the legs,anchoring a bird's feet
D)In the breast,where they control upstroke and downstroke of the wing
E)In the wing itself,running along the wing bones

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which is NOT one of the general features that make birds and reptiles similar?

A)Both birds and nonavian reptiles have a single middle ear bone
B)The skulls articulate with the first neck vertebra by a single occipital condyle
C)Both have a lower jaw composed of five or six bones
D)Both birds and reptiles lay eggs and the early embryo develops on the surface by shallow cleavage divisions
E)All of the choices are similarities that distinguish birds and reptiles from mammals

Question 5

The vertebral column of a bird has been modified so it is

A)much longer and more flexible.
B)springy and elastic to store energy for flight.
C)rigid with many vertebrae fused together.
D)broad to assist in aerodynamic lift.
E)no longer connected to the ribs.

Question 6

What permits the feather to "zip" and "unzip"?

A)The cohesive force of water molecules
B)Barbules and hooks
C)Oil from skin glands sticks the vanes together
D)Magnetic attraction due to charges built up from the feathers rubbing against each other
E)Bird saliva acting as a temporary glue

Question 7

The thick thigh and skinny lower leg of a bird,as in the case of a chicken leg,is an advantage because it

A)loads the muscle mass near the body's center of gravity for flight.
B)only leaves bone,tendon and tough skin exposed to freezing conditions.
C)keeps the slender,lightweight feet from being muscle-bound and restricted.
D)All of the choices are advantages
E)None of the choices is correct

Question 8

The most complex and delicate muscles in a bird are located in the

A)leg.
B)wings.
C)neck and tail.
D)beak.
E)reproductive area.

Question 9

Feathers are

A)living structures that continue to grow longer as the bird gets older.
B)never shed,except by accident.
C)shed in a highly ordered manner.
D)usually shed all at once,and then gradually replaced.
E)replaced only after one is lost.

Question 10

Archaeopteryx resembled modern birds in having

A)a large keel or breastbone for pectoral muscle insertion.
B)pneumatic bones.
C)fused clavicles or "wishbone."
D)a beak.
E)All of the choices were Archaeopteryx features

Question 11

The distribution of weight in the bird skeleton is

A)top-heavy to improve flight.
B)heavier compared to a mammal of the same size,since a bird has to be lightweight to fly.
C)similar to or lighter in overall weight than a mammal,but heavier in the leg bones,which lowers the bird's center of gravity.
D)loaded into a heavier bird skull,since the high speed requires a "safety helmet."
E)roughly the same as a mammal of the same size.

Question 12

Which type of feather disintegrates as it grows,releasing a talc-like substance to waterproof the feathers?

A)Altricial feathers
B)Powder-down feathers
C)Filoplume feathers
D)Down feathers
E)Flight feathers

Question 13

Which type of feathers are long and extend beyond the body for lift?

A)Altricial feathers
B)Powder-down feathers
C)Filoplume feathers
D)Down feathers
E)Flight feathers

Question 14

Birds fly through the air at relatively high speeds.This is possible in part because they have

A)a crop and gizzard.
B)highly sensitive sensory systems.
C)less power per unit weight.
D)ability to store large amounts of water.
E)All of the choices are the result of having to accommodate flight

Question 15

In order to fly,birds must have which of the following adaptation(s)?

A)A lightweight skeleton
B)A highly efficient respiratory system
C)A high-pressure circulatory system
D)Well-developed nervous and sensory systems
E)All of these adaptations are necessary for flight.

Question 16

Many insects,most birds,a few nonavian reptiles such as the pterodactyl,and bats all can fly.What is the most correct statement concerning their relationships?

A)Insects evolved flight independently but the pterodactyl is a probable ancestor of both the birds and bats
B)All four groups have wings because of a common winged ancestor
C)All four developed flight independently from non-winged ancestors
D)Insects and birds evolved flight independently but pterodactyls are the winged ancestor of bats
E)None of the choices is correct

Question 17

Color of feathers is due to two features,

A)surface and underlying colors.
B)absorptive and reflective colors.
C)melanins and chromatins.
D)pigments and structural colors.
E)iridescent and structural colors.

Question 18

Flightless birds

A)have evolved mostly on islands without predators.
B)include the ratite or paleognathous birds.
C)have appeared independently in many different groups of birds.
D)tend to become large.
E)All of the choices are correct

Question 19

If flight is such an advantage,how do we account for the evolution of flightless birds?

A)They were primitive ancestors of the winged birds
B)Flight is costly in terms of energy so birds abandon flight if they live in areas with food and without substantial predators,such as islands
C)This is always an inferior situation if they can't fly,so wingless birds occur only where winged birds are missing
D)Birds give up flight if they can avoid having to lay eggs
E)None of the choices is correct

Question 20

Bird species outnumber species in all other vertebrate groups except the

A)mammals.
B)reptiles.
C)amphibians.
D)fishes.

Question 21

The movement of air over the upper curved surface of the wing causes

A)lift.
B)drag.
C)stalling.
D)drift.
E)None of the choices is correct

Question 22

Bird mating is unique since

A)the male copulatory organ is kept folded internally.
B)mating is primarily a matter of bringing male cloaca to female cloaca.
C)fertilization is completely external.
D)All of the choices are correct
E)None of the choices is correct

Question 23

Most paleontologists agree that birds descended from a lineage of dinosaurs called ___________.

Question 24

The one unique feature that separates living species of birds from other animals is ________.

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT a correct association of bird nervous system and function?

A)Dorsal ventricular ridge of cerebrum-integrates eating,singing,flying
B)Cerebellum-coordinates muscle-position,equilibrium,visual cues
C)Pecten-controls pecking and perching
D)Columella-transmits vibrations
E)Optic lobes-visual associations

Question 26

The wing slots on the wings of many birds function

A)as brakes.
B)in preventing or delaying stalling.
C)to increase speed.
D)to increase lift at high speeds.
E)in diving.

Question 27

Anyone who has washed a car knows that bird wastes are different from mammal feces and urine.This is because

A)birds lack kidneys.
B)birds mainly eat berries and insects.
C)birds excrete ammonia.
D)birds produce urine with urea just as in mammals but they don't drink much water so it is more concentrated.
E)a bird's waste is uric acid with most water removed.

Question 28

Migration in birds

A)is inborn and instinctive.
B)allows these organisms to live in favorable climates and use more resources.
C)is triggered by external stimuli such as day length.
D)is closely linked to reproductive cycles.
E)All of the choices are correct

Question 29

Newly hatched birds that lack down and are nest-bound,unable to feed on their own,as with baby wrens or robins,are

A)altricial.
B)derived.
C)carinate.
D)precocial.
E)ratites.

Question 30

We don't see a crop and gizzard in many vertebrates;why do we see them in most birds?

A)Birds are more closely related to earthworms than we are and therefore did not lose this structure
B)Any animal that eats earthworms and insects needs these organs
C)Birds lack hands and teeth to reduce the size of food,and they need to gather food fast to avoid predators and competition
D)The bird "crop" and "gizzard" are really just names for the stomach and intestine and therefore other vertebrates actually have them
E)None of the choices is correct

Question 31

What is the function of the large sheet-like pectoralis muscles of a bird?

A)It controls flight by the moving the tail
B)It moves the neck
C)It anchors a perching bird's feet
D)It provides the wing upstroke
E)It provides the downstroke of the wing

Question 32

Birds have what type of red blood cells?

A)Like mammals,birds have enucleated,biconcave erythrocytes
B)Unlike mammals,birds have nucleated,biconcave erythrocytes
C)Unlike mammals,birds have nucleated,biconvex erythrocytes
D)Unlike mammals,birds have enucleated,biconvex erythrocytes

Question 33

An example of a bird with high-lift wings is

A)a humming bird.
B)a woodpecker.
C)a hawk.
D)an albatross.
E)All of the choices are correct

Question 34

In comparing the bird circulatory system to the mammal circulatory system,the bird system has

A)a cross vein in the neck to keep blood flowing to the brain as the head is turned.
B)a much faster heartbeat.
C)the right aortic arch,instead of the left as in mammals,leading to the dorsal aorta.
D)larger arteries to the wings and breast.
E)All of the choices are correct

Question 35

Generally,in cases of polygamy,male birds are smaller and more colorful (but at greater risk to predators)while females are larger (with more nutritional resources)and duller colored (and therefore more camouflaged).In such a system,the female invests much in her young while the male tries to spread his genes as much as possible.In the opposite and very rare system of polyandry,the male may invest in caring for his young in one nest while the female does not care for the young but travels around to court males and spread her genes as much as possible.In such a case,we should expect

A)the female bird would be larger to provide energy for all the flying.
B)the male bird would be larger and more brightly colored.
C)the male bird would be larger and camouflaged.
D)the male bird would be smaller but camouflaged.
E)None of the choices is correct

Question 36

Owl pellets are commonly found around owl roosting sites and are examined in school lessons to detect the skeletal remains of their prey and determine their eating habits.One student questions if the owl pellets are a serious bacterial concern.What is a reasonable and accurate reply?

A)Owl pellets would be a serious hygienic concern since they have gone through the bird's intestine and,similar to a human intestine,would be mixed with many gut bacteria
B)Owl pellets are probably not too serious a problem because bacteria in an owl's intestine are probably not disease agents for humans
C)Owl pellets have not been through the owl intestine but stopped at the highly acidic stomach where most environmental bacteria would have been killed;they were then regurgitated enclosed in sloughed owl gut lining and any bacteria would be environmental,but brief sterilization in an oven should suffice
D)All of the choices are correct
E)None of the choices is correct

Question 37

The digestive system contributes to the success of birds as flying animals because

A)it is long.
B)the crop can store huge quantities of food.
C)it digests food quickly.
D)it is penetrated by air sacs.
E)it has a high sense of taste to reject toxic foods.

Question 38

Flying birds with keeled sternums are known as Neognathae or ___________.

Question 39

An example of a bird with high-aspect ratio or soaring wings would be

A)a humming bird.
B)a woodpecker.
C)a hawk.
D)an albatross.
E)All of the choices are correct

Question 40

Birds have highly developed eyes that help them

A)locate mates.
B)fly through the air at a fast speed.
C)locate food from a distance.
D)avoid predators and defend territory.
E)All of the choices are correct

Question 41

The bird that makes the longest known migrations of any bird,between the Arctic and the Antarctic,is the ______ _______.

Question 42

The enlargement at the lower end of the esophagus that serves as a food storage chamber in birds is called the ____________.

Question 43

The large breast muscle that depresses the wing during flight is the _____ muscle.

Question 44

The ____________ muscle elevates the bird's wing by means of a tendon running through a pulley-like arrangement in the shoulder.

Question 45

The ___________,a group of small feathers on the first digit (or "thumb")of the bird's wing,functions to prevent stalling at low flight speeds.

Question 46

The white meat on both sides of the keel of a chicken or turkey breast serves the bird in flight.What is the name of the larger outer layer of muscle that pulls the wing downward? ________________ muscle.

Question 47

The stomach of a bird is comprised of the enzyme-secreting proventriculus and the muscular ____________.

Question 48

The common chamber that receives material from the digestive,excretory,and reproductive system is the ____________.

Question 49

The high-speed wings of plovers and sandpipers have swept-back wings that come to a tip,an adaptation that reduces drag-creating turbulence called _______ _______.

Question 50

Predatory,land-soaring birds have wing types that are referred to as ______________ wings.or

Question 51

The seasonal loss of bird feathers is _____________.

Question 52

The exchange region in the bird lung is tube-like ________ through which air flows continuously.

Question 53

The integration of muscle-position sense,equilibrium sense,and visual cues for movement and balance occurs in the __________ of the bird's brain.

Question 54

Because birds lack teeth to grind up food,they possess a ____________ that accomplishes this task.

Question 55

Because the kidneys of sea birds don't concentrate much salt in the urine,excess sodium chloride is removed by special _______ _______ located above the bird's eyes.

Question 56

The photoreceptors in the retina that are more numerous in nocturnal birds are the __________.

Question 57

The major nitrogenous waste excreted by the bird kidney is ______ ______.

Question 58

In flapping flight,the feathers at the wing tips that generate thrust are the __________ feathers.

Question 59

A unique feature of the bird respiratory system is the extensive system of nine interconnecting _____ _____.

Question 60

The famous fossil bird from the Jurassic period that proves the reptilian ancestry of birds is ____________,a name that means "ancient wing."

Question 61

If it is an advantage to be a food specialist and thereby avoid the extra competition that generalists face from other generalists,then why aren't all birds specialists?

Question 62

More than 90% of all birds follow a type of mating system in which an individual mates with only one partner each breeding season,called ___________.

Question 63

Why have birds not evolved a wing design that allows for the best of all properties including fast and slow flight,soaring and flapping,all in one bird?

Question 64

A bird's respiratory system is more efficient than the respiratory system of nearly any other vertebrate.Explain the attributes of the bird lifestyle that selected for this highly efficient gas-exchange system.

Question 65

Discuss the evolution of birds as it is currently understood.Why would some theropod dinosaurs have feathers? Did feathers evolve just once? Did feathers evolve specifically for flight? Is Archaeopteryx really a bird?

Question 66

Trace the air flow through a bird from inhaling to exhaling,indicating where absorption of gases occurs and for what percent of the time.Why does it take two cycles of breathing to move a molecule in the air through this system?

Question 67

The geological age when birds first arose is called ____________.

Question 68

Give some examples of birds with high-lift wings.

Question 69

Detail four non-trivial likely reasons for the recent decline in songbirds.

Question 70

Newly hatched birds that are covered with down and are active within a short time are called __________.

Question 71

Discuss the derived characters shared by birds with theropods such as Velocirapor.How do the newly discovered Chinese fossils such as Protarchaeopteryx,Caudipteryx,and Sinosauropteryx fit into the evolutionary picture of birds?

Question 72

Discuss the relative merits of the two competing hypotheses for the origin of avian flight.