BIO 554/754
Ornithology
Review Questions for Exam 4 (Gill, 3rd edition)
Chapter 13
What are the two primary ways a bird can improve its genetic contribution to future generations (p.367)? Know the material in Box 13-1 (p.369). When does monogamy generally prevail (p.370)? When do multiple mates become a viable option (p.370)? What percent of all birds are overtly polygynous (p.371)? Why do females join a harem (p.371)? Be able to describe the male tradeoff hypothesis and the alternative female choice hypothesis (p.372). In what two orders has classic polyandry primarily evolved (p.373)?
What is brood parasitism (p.377)? What are the 2 major forms of brood parasitism (p.377)? In which group of birds is intraspecific nest parasitism most prevalent (p.377)? What is facultative parasitism (p.379)? What are the most familiar birds that relinquish care of all their young to foster parents of other species (p.379)? What are obligate brood parasites (p.379)? How many eggs do female Brown-headed cowbirds lay per season (p.380)?Why don't nestling cowbirds evict their foster nest mates (p.381)? How do the incubation times of brood parasites compare to those of non-brood parasites & what are the advantages of these differences to brood parasites (p.381)? What are the effects of brood parasites on their hosts (p.383)? How do some birds, like Yellow Warblers, respond to the discovery of a cowbird egg (p.384)?
What are helpers (p.385)? In how many species has cooperative breeding been reported (p.467)? How might helpers obtain indirect benefits (p.385)? Be able to provide evidence that helpers really help (p.387-388). Why do helpers not disperse from their natal territory & breed elsewhere on their own (p.388-391)?
Chapter 12
What is sexual selection (p.338)? What do the 'good genes hypotheses' propose (p. 339)? What aspects of genetic or physiological superiority might exaggerated courtship displays serve to index (p.339)? What possible role do parasites play in 'good genes hypotheses' (p.339-341)? What are leks (p.349)? Do all males in a lek have equal mating success (p.350)? Why should promiscuous males gather in leks when just a few dominant males mate most frequently (p.350-351)? What factors influence dominance status at leks (p.351)? Why do young, inexperienced males gather near older, more successful males in leks (p.351)? What is monogamy (p.360)? How long do monogamous pair bonds last (p.360)? Why might female birds sometimes divorce their mates (p.360)? What are extra-pair copulations (p.361)? How can extra-pair copulations improve the quality of offspring (p.363)?
Chapter 14
Which ovary generally develops in female birds (p.405)? In what birds do female typically have two functional ovaries (p.405)? What 2 interdependent processes are involved in the development of a mature ovum (p.405)? Know the material in Box 14-1 (p.407). What do female birds do to enhance the health of their offspring (p.407)? How can a female's condition influence the sex of her offspring (p.407)? How does the location of the testes of birds differ from that of most mammals and reptiles (p.409)? How do the testes of birds compensate for the extra body heat (p.409)? How do mating systems influence testes size (p.410; Figure 14-7)? What is the function of the seminiferous tubules, Sertoli cells, Leydig cells (p.410)? What are seminal vesicles & what is their function (p.412)? What is a cloacal kiss (p.412)? How does sperm transfer occur (p.412)? How many spermatozoa are required for proper fertilization of hens (p.414)? Where are sperm storage tubules located & how long can these tubules hold sperm (p.416)? When are eggs normally fertilized and how long can sperm remain viable (p.416)? What is sperm competition and what are some male adaptations to sperm competition (p.417)? When female birds mate with several males, what factors influence paternity of the resulting offspring (p.417-418)?
How have birds "compensated" for the reduced permeability of avian eggshells (p.418)? What is the role of albumen in an egg (p.418-419)? What is the function of yolk (p.419)? What is the function of the hard eggshell and external shell layers (p.420)? What are the various functions of egg coloration, e.g., shaded ground colors and superficial blotches, conspicuously white, blue, & brown speckling (p.420)? What determines egg shape (p.422)? What does a freshly laid egg consist of (p.423)? How long does it usually take for an egg to pass through the oviduct (p.423)? How is the egg propelled through the oviduct (p.423)? What happens to the egg in the magnum, isthmus, uterus (p.423)? What is the chalazae and what is its function (p.423)? What is the final stage of egg production (p.423)? What does the hard shell consist of (p.423)? What structure add color to the eggshell (p.425)? How do birds eject an egg (p.425)? When do most birds lay their eggs? Why (p.425)? What is the typical interval between eggs (p.425)? What are the three extraembryonic membranes and what is the function of each (p.425-426)? Why is uric acid an excellent solution to an embryos waste-disposal problem, but ammonia and urea are not (p.426)? Why is diffusion through shell membranes vital (p.426)?
Chapter 15
In general, what species have increased nesting success (p.432)? What are the principal causes of nest failure (p.432)? What is the primary cause of nest failure in all habitats and on all continents (p.432)? Why do birds build nests (p.432)? What are the three categories of nests that songbirds construct (p.436)? What are the advantages of enclosed or pensile nests, covered nests (p.436)? What factors contribute to or influence nest safety (p.437)? What is safer: cavity nesting or open nesting (p.440)? What group of birds is the preeminant primary cavity excavators (p.440)? What are secondary cavity nesters (p.440)? How do young birds know how to build complex nests (p.443-444)? Why is nest microclimate important (p.445)? What determines nest warmth (p.445)? How does nest placement influence a pair's breeding success (p.445)? What are fecal sacs & which groups of birds have young that produce them (p.446)? What do parents do with fecal sacs (p.446)? What hormone mediates the incubation behavior of birds (p.447)? What is 'attentiveness' (p.447)? What is the relationship between risk of predation and parental activity at the nest (p.449)? How do some North American birds reduce activity at the nest (p.449)? How did birds respond to experiments where models of predators were placed near nests (p.449-450)? What is the incubation period (p.452)? What does delaying the onset of incubation until the clutch is complete ensure (p.452)? What is the result of beginning incubation before the clutch is complete & which groups of birds exhibit such behavior (p.452)?
What are brood patches (p.454)? What factors allow better contact between the incubation patch and eggs (p.455)? When do incubation patches develop, regress (p.455)? Which birds lack brood patches (p.456) & how do these birds incubate their eggs (p.456)? What is the first priority of incubation (p.456)? What is the optimum temperature for development and what happens when temperatures deviate from that optimum (p.456)? How can parent birds keep eggs cool (p.459)? How do parents trying to cool eggs dissipate heat (p.459)? Why do incubating birds turn eggs (p.460)?
How do chicks break out of an egg (p.460-461)?
What is the tucking position & why is it important (p.460)? What is the egg tooth, where is it located, and what is its function (p.460-461)? What is the fate of the egg tooth (p.461)? Why is prompt removal of eggshells after hatching of value (p.461)? What causes asynchronous hatching (p.462)? In what birds is highly sychronized hatching characteristic and how is such synchronization coordinated (p.462)?
Chapter 16
What do the terms altricial and precocial refer to (p.468)? Know the material in Table 16-1 (p.468). What are the 6 major categories of hatchlings (p.470; Figure 16-3; Box 16-1)? What mode of development was probably the original mode among birds (p.470)? Be able to explain the tissue-allocation hypothesis (p.471-472). What is homeothermy (p.473)? How rapidly do precocial and semiprecocial chicks achieve thermoregulatory capability (p.474)? What factors contribute to improvement in ability of regulate temperature by both precocial and altricial chicks (p.474)? Why do large broods need less parental care than small broods, at least in cool climates (p.475)?
What stimulates parents to deliver food (p.478)? What occurs when the volume & continuity of begging cries is experimentally increased (p.478)? Do begging calls by nestlings attract predators (p.478)? What is the function of the brightly colored mouth markings of many chicks (p.478)? What determines whether a nestling is fed by its parents (p.482)? What are the two pressing demands on parent birds during the period after hatching (p.482)? What are the duties of the parents of precocial young (p.483)? By how much does peak breeding activity increase total daily energy expenditures (p.483)? Know the material in Box 16-3 (p.484).
What is the fledging period (p.491)? What is fledging (p.491)? Where do mobile young birds and their parents often move after the young fledge (p.492)? What is the relationship between a fledgling's chance of survival and mass at fledging (p.492)? What factors influence a fledgling's physical condition (p.492)? Know the material in Box 16-5 (p.499). How long do fledglings of most small passerines stay with their parents (p.500)?