|
| 1 | Bird migration does which of the following? |
 | A) | Reduces aggressive territorial behavior |
| B) | Favors homeostasis (by allowing birds to avoid climatic changes) |
| C) | Increases the amount of territory available for breeding |
| D) | Provides ample food for rearing young |
| E) | All of the above are correct |
|
| 2 | The evolution of feathers was the single most important event leading to the capacity for flight in birds. |
| A) | True |
| B) | False |
|
| 3 | Feathers were also present in some theropod dinosaurs although it is likely that these feathers were not capable of supporting the animals in flight. |
| A) | True |
| B) | False |
|
| 4 | Why are birds less diverse (in terms of modifications of appearance, not necessarily number of species) than mammals? |
| A) | Because their modifications for flight limit the different forms and variations that are possible |
| B) | Because they descended from reptiles |
| C) | Because they descended from coelosasuran dinosaurs |
| D) | All of the above are correct |
| E) | None of the above is correct |
|
| 5 | The similarity of birds and reptiles led Thomas Henry Huxley to call reptiles “glorified birds.” |
| A) | True |
| B) | False |
|
| 6 | Reptiles and birds share which of the following characteristics? |
| A) | One middle ear bone, the stapes |
| B) | Excretion of nitrogenous wastes as uric acid |
| C) | A single occipital condyle |
| D) | A lower jaw composed of 5 or 6 bones |
| E) | All of the above are correct |
|
| 7 | Which of the following derived characteristics is shared by dromeosaurs (e.g., Velociraptor) with birds? |
| A) | Fused clavicles |
| B) | Lunate wrist bones |
| C) | Some species with feathers |
| D) | All of the above are correct |
| E) | None of the above is correct |
|
| 8 | Which of the following terms have to do with feathers? |
| A) | Contour |
| B) | Quill |
| C) | Shaft |
| D) | Barbs |
| E) | All of the above terms have to do with feathers |
|
| 9 | Birds are characterized as having which of the following? |
| A) | Females with only the left ovary and oviduct |
| B) | Single bone in the middle ear |
| C) | A four-chambered heart |
| D) | Leg scales |
| E) | All of the above characterize birds |
|
| 10 | Which of the following muscles are concerned with bird flight? |
| A) | Pectoralis |
| B) | Supracoracoideus |
| C) | Biceps femoralis |
| D) | A and B, but not C |
| E) | None of the above is correct |
|
| 11 | Flight in birds entails which of the following? |
| A) | A cambered wing surface |
| B) | Reduction of air turbulence |
| C) | Prevention of stalling with a “wing slot” along the front of the wing |
| D) | Slotting between the primary feathers |
| E) | All of the above are correct |
|
| 12 | Which of the following is NOT a physical characteristic that contributes to avian flight? |
| A) | Pneumatized bones |
| B) | Wings |
| C) | Tail |
| D) | External ears |
| E) | Four-chambered heart |
|
| 13 | The most distinctive feature of the vertebral column of birds is its… |
| A) | Complex structure |
| B) | Lightweight and pneumatized frame |
| C) | Rigidity |
| D) | Rudimentary design |
| E) | None of the above is correct |
|
| 14 | How do migratory birds navigate? |
| A) | Topographical landmarks |
| B) | Sun-azimuth orientation |
| C) | North Star |
| D) | Earth’s magnetic field |
| E) | All of the above are correct |
|
| 15 | The most common mating system in birds is… |
| A) | Polygamy |
| B) | Lifelong monogamy |
| C) | Seasonal monogamy |
| D) | Polygyny |
| E) | None of the above is correct |
|
| 16 | What is the most serious threat to migratory songbird populations? |
| A) | Hunting |
| B) | Tropical rainforest deforestation |
| C) | Intensification of agriculture |
| D) | World-wide habitat changes |
| E) | Nest parasitism |
|
| 17 | Additional evidence linking birds to dromeosaurs comes from recently described fossils with symmetrically vaned feathers from late Jurassic and early Cretaceous deposits in Liaoning Province, China. These spectacular fossils are dromeosaur-like theropods in the genera: |
| A) | Protoarchaeopteryx |
| B) | Caudipteryx |
| C) | Sinosauropteryx |
| D) | A and B, but not C |
| E) | None of the above is correct |
|
| 18 | The voice box of birds is also scientifically known as the … |
| A) | Pinna |
| B) | Syrinx |
| C) | Amnion |
| D) | Condyle |
| E) | None of the above is correct |
|
| 19 | The vivid color of feathers is of two kinds: pigmentary and structural. |
| A) | True |
| B) | False |
|
| 20 | Most of the caudal vertebrae in birds are fused into a pygostyle while many of the remaining terminal vertebrae in the trunk are fused as the… |
| A) | Thorax |
| B) | Pygidium |
| C) | Sacrum |
| D) | Synsacrum |
| E) | Clavicles |
|
| 21 | Because bird’s feet are composed mostly of bone, tendon, and tough scaly skin, they can be easily frozen. |
| A) | True |
| B) | False |
|
| 22 | Birds, because of their intense metabolism, are voracious feeders. |
| A) | True |
| B) | False |
|
| 23 | Which of the following statements is NOT correct? |
| A) | Birds process their food rapidly and thoroughly with an efficient digestive system |
| B) | The stomach of birds consists of two compartments, a proventriculus that secretes gastric juice, and the muscular gizzard, which is lined with keratinized plates for grinding food |
| C) | The four-chambered heart evolved independently of the four-chambered heart of mammals |
| D) | Because their metabolism is so fast, the heart rate of birds is relatively slow |
| E) | The lungs of birds receive fresh air during both inspiration and expiration |
|
| 24 | Which of the following statements concerning birds is NOT correct? |
| A) | Urine passes by way of ureters to the cloaca; there is no urinary bladder |
| B) | The brain of a bird has well-developed cerebral hemispheres and cerebellum |
| C) | Birds have very large optic lobes |
| D) | The position of a bird’s eyes in its head is correlated with its life habits |
| E) | Birds are strictly ectothermic, producing heat only when flying |
|
| 25 | While evidence is weighted towards the ”flapping up“ hypothesis, the debate regarding the evolution of bird flight has not been settled. |
| A) | True |
| B) | False |
|
| 26 | Vultures, hawks, eagles, owls, and ospreys are birds with which of the following characteristics? |
| A) | Eyes positioned in the front of the face |
| B) | Wings with slotting, alulas, and pronounced cambers |
| C) | Wings that provide high lift at low speed |
| D) | A generally predatory lifestyle |
| E) | All of the above are correct |
|
| 27 | Most migratory birds have well-established routes trending north and south. |
| A) | True |
| B) | False |
|
| 28 | The onset of reproduction in birds is synchronized with the seasons. Long day lengths stimulate the anterior lobe of the pituitary to release what hormone? |
| A) | Testosterone |
| B) | Gonadotropic hormone |
| C) | Estrogens |
| D) | Progesterone |
| E) | None of the above is correct |
|
| 29 | Which of the following statements is correct? |
| A) | Recent work adds credence to an old, much debated hypothesis that birds can detect and navigate by the earth’s magnetic field |
| B) | Birds tend to migrate from north to south when the day lengths become longer |
| C) | The navigational abilities of birds are entirely learned rather than inborn behaviors |
| D) | Birds cannot navigate with celestial cues because these cues are too distant and dim |
| E) | Birds are not eusocial animals; rather they are gregarious only during mating |
|
| 30 | Which of the following terms is NOT associated with reproduction in birds? |
| A) | Cloaca |
| B) | Infundibulum |
| C) | Albumin |
| D) | Precocious |
| E) | All of the above terms are associated with avian reproduction |
|
| 31 | Perhaps one reason explaining why monogamy is much more common among birds than among mammals is that male and female birds are equally adept at most aspects of parental care. |
| A) | True |
| B) | False |
|
| 32 | The most common form of polygamy in birds, when it occurs, is polyandry. |
| A) | True |
| B) | False |
|
| 33 | Nest parasites such as the brown-headed cowbird and the European cuckoo build no nests at all but simply lay their eggs in the nests of birds smaller than themselves. |
| A) | True |
| B) | False |
|
| 34 | Because altricial birds lay relatively small eggs with minimal yolk supplies, a mother has a relatively small investment in her eggs, and as a result, eggs lost to predation or extreme weather conditions are easily replaced. |
| A) | True |
| B) | False |
|
| 35 | With the exception of domestic fowl, which of the following have become some of the most abundant bird species on earth? |
| A) | Passenger pigeons |
| B) | Starlings |
| C) | House sparrows |
| D) | B and C only |
| E) | None of the above is correct |
|
| 36 | Although hunters kill millions of game birds each year, none of the 74 game bird species legally hunted is threatened or endangered. |
| A) | True |
| B) | False |
|
| 37 | Which of the following kills hundreds of millions of songbirds each year? |
| A) | House cats |
| B) | Nest parasites |
| C) | Raccoons |
| D) | Habitat destruction (e.g., forest fragmentation) |
| E) | All of the above are correct |