Question

describe the morphology of birds, including features of the skeleton that are unique to birds and a discussion of variations seen in the morphology of feet, beaks and wings of different species.

Answer 1

The skeleton comprises of lightweight bones. They have huge air-filled holes (called pneumatic holes) which interface with the respiratory system.[61] The skull bones in grown-ups are intertwined and don't show cranial sutures. The circles are enormous and isolated by a hard septum. The spine has cervical, thoracic, lumbar and caudal areas with the quantity of cervical (neck) vertebrae exceptionally factor and particularly adaptable, however development is diminished in the front thoracic vertebrae and missing in the later vertebrae. The last not many are melded with the pelvis to frame the synsacrum. The ribs are leveled and the sternum is keeled for the connection of flight muscles aside from in the flightless winged animal requests. The forelimbs are adjusted into wings. The wings are pretty much evolved relying upon the species; the main known gatherings that lost their wings are the wiped out moa and elephant feathered creatures.

variation in beaks-

Carnivorous birds

Birds that feed on vertebrates have strong, hooked beaks with the upper part protruding over the lower part. They are securely attached to the skull. They use it to tear and pull the flesh of their prey. Birds of prey such as eagles and falcons, and scavengers such as vultures are a clear example of this.

Granivorous birds

This group of birds feed mainly on seeds. In many cases, they have a short, robust beak that ends in a conical shape, allowing them to break seeds. Goldfinches, sparrows and canaries are all good examples.

Frugivorous birds

Although they feed on fruit, whether meaty or dried, these birds can also feed on seeds. Their beaks are specialised at dealing with fruit, which they open to obtain the pulp or seeds. They usually have a short, curved beak with a specialised tip for extracting the edible part of the seeds.

Insectivorous birds

There are several ways of hunting insects. In the case of birds that hunt insects in the air, they do so with their mouths open. Therefore, the beak is usually short, wide and flat. Examples of this include the swallow and the swift. Other birds prefer to catch insects when they are still. These have short, straight, thin beaks, such as the bee-eater or robin.

Wading birds

These are waterfowl that have long beaks with different shapes, adapted to searching for invertebrates at the bottom of ponds and marshes, while keeping their heads out of the water. The stork (main picture) or spoonbill would be examples of this type of bird.

Piscivorous birds

These birds feed on fish that they catch by diving into the water. In most cases they have large, strong beaks with a curved tip or serrated ridges to prevent their prey from escaping. This group includes birds like seagulls and albatrosses.

Variation in wings-The feathered creature's forelimbs (the wings) are the way to flight. Each wing has a focal vane to hit the breeze, made out of three appendage bones, the humerus, ulna and span. The hand, or manus, which tribally was made out of five digits, is decreased to three digits (digit II, III and IV or I, II, III relying upon the plan followed[3]), which fills in as a grapple for the primaries, one of two gatherings of flight plumes liable for the wing's airfoil shape. The other arrangement of flight plumes, behind the carpal joint on the ulna, are known as the secondaries. The rest of the plumes on the wing are known as coverts, of which there are three sets. The wing in some cases has minimal paws. In many species, these are lost when the feathered creature is grown-up, (for example, the exceptionally unmistakable ones utilized for dynamic moving by hoatzin chicks), however hooks are held into adulthood by the secretarybird, screamers, finfoots, ostriches, a few swifts and various others, as a neighborhood attribute, in a couple of examples.

Variation in feet-Most flying creatures are named digitigrade creatures, which means they stroll on their toes, instead of the whole foot. A portion of the lower bones of the foot (the distals and the majority of the metatarsal) are intertwined to shape the tarsometatarsus – a third section of the leg, explicit to flying creatures. The upper bones of the foot (proximals), thus, are melded with the tibia to frame the tibiotarsus, as after some time the centralia vanished. The fibula likewise decreased.