Chordates: Birds

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ChordatesBirds

• Tiara Jackson 
• Shayna Brown 
• AP Biology 
• 4/8/11

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The Name of Your Subgroup

• Kingdom Animalia
• Phylum Chordata
• Class Aves

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Body Structure

• External Bird Anatomy

• Internal Bird Anatomy

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Type of Covering

• Down Feathers
• The down of birds is a layer of fine feathers
  found under the tougher exterior feathers. 

• Contour Feathers
• Contour, or vaned, feathers are the most
  specialized of all feathers. Contour feathers
  form the outline of the body of a bird, giving it
  a streamlined look. 

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Gas Exchange

• The avian ventilation/respiratory system, like
  the mammalian respiratory system, delivers oxygen
  from the air to the body tissues and it also
  removes carbon dioxide. But that is where the
  similarity ends. The avian respiratory system
  also plays an important role in thermoregulation
  in that it helps to maintain normal body
  temperatures despite wide fluctuations in the
  temperature of the surrounding air.

•  

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The Heart

• Birds have a four-chambered heart, in common with
  humans, most mammals, and some reptiles. This
  adaptation allows for an efficient nutrient and
  oxygen transport throughout the body, providing
  birds with energy to fly and maintain high levels
  of activity. A Ruby-throated Hummingbird's heart
  beats up to 1200 times per minute (about 20 beats
  per second).

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Mode of Fertilization and Development

• Fertilization
• When birds mate, the male presses his sexual
  opening against that of the female by mounting
  her and flapping his wings to maintain his
  balance. Some bird species, such as swallows and
  swifts, mate while suspended in midair. The
  male's sperm enters the female's sexual opening
  (cloaca) during this time.
• After entering the cloaca of the female, the
  sperm, containing the male's genetic information,
  travels up the oviduct. At the end of the oviduct
  is an ovum, or egg, which contains the female's
  genetic information. Fertilization takes place
  when the male's sperm penetrates the egg, causing
  the genetic information of both parents to fuse.
  Fertilization does not necessarily take place
  during or soon after mating. Some bird species
  release fertilized eggs up to 70 days after
  mating takes place.

• Development
• Once fertilized, the egg begins traveling through
  the oviduct. As it travels, coatings and
  membranes are added to it, forming a shell. Once
  the shell is formed, the egg is ready to be laid
  and incubated until ready to hatch.
• Internal fertilization and External
  development 

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 Classification

• Kingdom Animalia
• Phylum Chordata
• Class AvesThe Class Aves contains the following
  subgroups
• Order Anseriformes (ducks, geese, screame s,
  swans, and waterfowl)
• Order Apodiformes (hummingbirds and swifts)
• Order Apterygiformes (kiwis)
• Order Caprimulgiformes (nightbirds)
• Order Casuariiformes (emus, cassowaires)
• Order Charadriiformes (shorebirds and relatives)
  

Order Psittaciformes (parrots) Order
Rheiformes (rheas) Order Sphenisciformes
(penguin) Order Strigiformes (owls) Order
Struthioniformes (kiwis, ostriches) Order
Tinamiformes (tinamous) Order Trogoniformes
(trogons) Order Turniciformes (buttonquail)

• Type of Covering

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Characteristics

• Birds possess distinct characteristics that make
  them one of the most distinguishable group of
  vertebrates. The following characteristics are
  unique to birds
•                   feathers - provide insulation
  and enable flight feathers are modifications of
  a                 bird's epidermis (outer skin)
•                   bills - birds do not possess
  teeth or the heavy jawbones seen in other       
                       vertebrates instead, birds
  have a pair of toothless mandibles covered with a
                  horny sheath of keratin (also
  called ramphotheca).
•                   furcula - also known as the
  'wishbone', the furcula is a bone located in the
                       bird's chest that prevents
  compression of the chest cavity during the       
                        downstroke of a wingbeat.
• Birds also exhibit the following characteristics
  
•                   Fused bones in pelvis, feet,
  hands, and head
•                   Lightweight bones (bones that
  are either hollow or spongy/strutted)
•                   No teeth or maxillary bones of
  the jaw (reduces anterior weight)
•                   Endothermic
•                   Possess a four-chambered heart
  and in general exhibit high metabolic rates
•                   Produce large, richly
  provisioned external eggs
•                   Adept navigational abilities
  in many species 
•                    Endothermic
•                    Extraordinary communication
  and song production

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Works Cited

• http//biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio106/chordate.
  htm
• http//animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/account
  s/information/Aves.html 
• http//animals.about.com/od/birds/p/aves.htm
• http//ladygouldian.com/Nhttp//ladygouldian.com/N
  ODE/174ODE/174 
• http//www.paulnoll.com/Oregon/Birds/Avian-Circula
  tory.html