Altriciality and the Evolution of Toe Orientation in Birds
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MADAGASCAR: the Wonders of the “8Th Continent” a Tropical Birding Custom Trip
MADAGASCAR: The Wonders of the “8th Continent” A Tropical Birding Custom Trip October 20—November 6, 2016 Guide: Ken Behrens All photos taken during this trip by Ken Behrens Annotated bird list by Jerry Connolly TOUR SUMMARY Madagascar has long been a core destination for Tropical Birding, and with the opening of a satellite office in the country several years ago, we further solidified our expertise in the “Eighth Continent.” This custom trip followed an itinerary similar to that of our main set-departure tour. Although this trip had a definite bird bias, it was really a general natural history tour. We took our time in observing and photographing whatever we could find, from lemurs to chameleons to bizarre invertebrates. Madagascar is rich in wonderful birds, and we enjoyed these to the fullest. But its mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects are just as wondrous and accessible, and a trip that ignored them would be sorely missing out. We also took time to enjoy the cultural riches of Madagascar, the small villages full of smiling children, the zebu carts which seem straight out of the Middle Ages, and the ingeniously engineered rice paddies. If you want to come to Madagascar and see it all… come with Tropical Birding! Madagascar is well known to pose some logistical challenges, especially in the form of the national airline Air Madagascar, but we enjoyed perfectly smooth sailing on this tour. We stayed in the most comfortable hotels available at each stop on the itinerary, including some that have just recently opened, and savored some remarkably good food, which many people rank as the best Madagascar Custom Tour October 20-November 6, 2016 they have ever had on any birding tour. -
Tegument, I Can Only Conclude That This Monograph Fails to Attain Its Stated
REVIEWS EDITED BY JOHN WILLIAM HARDY The Coturnix Quail/anatomy and histology.--Theodore C. Fitzgerald. 1970. Ames, Iowa State Univ. Press. Pp. xix q- 306, many text figures. $?.95.--During the pastseveral decades, the Coturnixor JapaneseQuail (Coturnix½oturnix japonica) has becomea valuable experimentalanimal in many fields of arian biology (see bibliographiesin the "Quail Quarterly"). Much of this researchis physiologicalfor which many workers require some backgroundmorphological information. Realizing the need for a descriptiveanatomy of Coturnix,a groupof workersat Auburn Uni- versity, long a center for Coturnix studies,asked Professor Fitzgerald and his asso- ciatesin the Department of Anatomy and Histology, Schoolof Veterinary Medicine, to undertakesuch a project. UnfortunatelyProfessor Fitzgerald died before it was completed,and membersof his staff finishedthe project and publishedthe mono- graph. As a result,it is not clearwhat part ProfessorFitzgerald had in the research incorporatedin this book and who was responsiblefor many important decisions. Accordingto the Preface,veterinary students made the dissectionsand art students preparedthe first drawings. Mrs. J. Guenther was responsiblefor final work on the illustrationsand the manuscript,and for seeingthe book through publication. But no informationis given on responsibilityfor checkingdissections, identification of structures,terminology, and writing the manuscript.Moreover, Professor Fitzgerald and his associates(mentioned in the Preface) are not known to me as avian ana- tomists,and are not the seniorauthors of any publishedpapers cited in the bibliog- raphy; I presumethat they are mammaliananatomists because of certainterminology used. Further,it seemsreasonable to concludethat this projectwas undertakenby Fitzgerald'sgroup as a favor to their colleaguesat AuburnUniversity, and that it was not relatedto any other researchprojects in their department.Lastly this study had to be completedwithout the guidanceof the originalproject director,which always resultsin increasedpublication difficulties. -
Phoenix Zoo Program Animal Handling Protocols
Interpretive Animal Resources Animal Handling and Presentation Protocols 2014-2015 Updated: June 21, 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2 2. AZA Presentation of Animals Policy 2 3. Animal Handling and Presentation Training and Certification Process 3 4. Program Animal Levels 5 5. Disciplinary Action 7 6. Example: Animal Handling and Presentation Infraction Report 8 7. Emergency Situations 9 a. Emergency Contacts 9 b. Human Injury Protocol 10 c. Animal Injury or Illness Protocol 10 d. Animal Escape 10 e. Animal Death 10 8. Animal “Sense” 11 9. Safety 11 a. The Three L’s 11 b. Zoonotic Diseases 11 i. TB Testing 11 ii. Off Programs 11 iii. Cold/Flu Symptoms 11 iv. Quarantine 11 v. Hand Washing 12 vi. Dress Code and Grooming 12 vii. Cleaning Presentation Area 12 viii. Food and Beverages 12 ix. Smoking 12 10. Animal Requests and Reservations 13 a. When To Work 13 b. Animals for Personal Use 13 11. Collecting Animals for Programs 14 a. Tags 15 b. Equipment 15 c. Animal Care Kits 16 12. Transporting Animals 16 13. Temperature and Weather Guidelines 17 14. Presenting Animals in Programs 18 a. Presentation Environment 18 b. Stress 18 c. Basic Handling Methods 18 d. Water 18 e. Animal Diet 18 f. Handling Order 19 g. Proximity to Other Animals 19 h. Animal Supervision 19 i. Public Fear of Animals 19 j. Touching Animals 19 k. Handler Discretion 19 15. Approved Presentation Areas on Zoo Grounds 20 16. Returning Animals from Programs 20 17. Communication and Daily Section Reports (DSR) 21 18. Example: Program Daily Section Report 22 19. -
Predictors of Juvenile Survival in Birds
Ornithological Monographs Volume (2013), No. 78, 1–55 © The American Ornithologists’ Union, 2013. Printed in USA. PREDICTORS OF JUVENILE SURVIVAL IN BIRDS TERRI J. MANESS1,2,3 AND DAVID J. ANDERSON2 1School of Biological Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, Louisiana 71272, USA; and 2Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27106, USA ABSTRACT.—The survival probability of birds during the juvenile period, between the end of parental care and adulthood, is highly variable and has a major effect on population dynamics and parental fitness. As such, a large number of studies have attempted to evaluate potential predictors of juvenile survival in birds, especially predictors related to parental care. Lack’s hypothesis linking body reserves accumulated from parental care to the survival of naive juveniles has organized much of this research, but various other predictors have also been investigated and received some support. We reviewed the literature in this area and identified a variety of methodological problems that obscure interpretation of the body of results. Most studies adopted statistical techniques that missed the opportunities to (1) evaluate the relative importance of several predictors, (2) control the confounding effect of correlation among predictor variables, and (3) exploit the information content of collinearity by evaluating indirect (via correlation) as well as direct effects of potential predictors on juvenile survival. Ultimately, we concluded that too few reliable studies exist to allow robust evaluations of any hypothesis regarding juvenile survival in birds. We used path analysis to test potential predictors of juvenile survival of 2,631 offspring from seven annual cohorts of a seabird, the Nazca Booby (Sula granti). -
The Dazzling Diversity of Avian Feet I I Text Lisa Nupen Anisodactyl
BIOLOGY insight into the birds’ different modes of life. THE BONES IN THE TOES Birds’ feet are not only used for n almost all birds, the number of bones locomotion (walking or running, Iin each toe is preserved: there are two swimming, climbing), but they bones in the first toe (digit I), three bones serve other important functions in in the second toe (II), four in the third (III) perching, foraging, preening, re- and five in the fourth (IV). Therefore, the production and thermoregulation. identity of a toe (I to IV) can be determined Because of this, the structure of a quite reliably from the number of bones in bird’s foot often provides insight it. When evolutionary toe-loss occurs, this into the species’ ecology. Often, makes it possible to identify which digit distantly related species have con- has been lost. verged on similar foot types when adapting to particular environ- ments. For example, the four fully demands of a particular niche or The first, and seemingly ances- webbed, forward-pointing toes environment. The arrangement tral, configuration of birds’ toes – called totipalmate – of pelicans, of toes in lovebirds, barbets and – called anisodactyly – has three gannets and cormorants are an ad- cuckoos, for example, is differ- digits (numbered II, III and IV) aptation to their marine habitat. ent from that in passerines (such orientated forwards and digit I The closely related Shoebill as finches, shrikes or starlings) in (the ‘big toe’, or hallux) pointing does not have webbed feet, per- the same environment. The func- backwards. This arrangement is haps because of its wetland habi- tional reasons for differences in shared with theropod fossils and The toes of penguins tat, but the tropicbirds, which foot structure can be difficult to is the most common, being found (below left) and gan- fancy form their own relatively ancient explain. -
MADAGASCAR: the Wonders of the “8Th Continent” a Tropical Birding Set Departure
MADAGASCAR: The Wonders of the “8th Continent” A Tropical Birding Set Departure November 3—28, 2013 Guide: Ken Behrens All photos taken during this trip. All photos by Ken Behrens unless noted otherwise. TOUR SUMMARY Madagascar has long been a core destination for Tropical Birding, and with last year’s opening of a satellite office in the country, we have further solidified our expertise in the “Eighth Continent.” This was another highly successful set-departure tour to this special island. It included both the Northwestern Endemics Pre-Trip at the start and the Helmet Vanga extension to the Masoala Peninsula at the end. Although Madagascar poses some logistical challenges, especially in the form of the national airline Air Madagascar, we had no problems on this tour, not even a single delayed flight! The birding was great, with 196 species recorded, including almost all of the island’s endemic birds. As usual, the highlight was seeing all five of the incredible ground-rollers, from the roadrunner-like Long-tailed of the spiny forest to the wonderful rainforest-dwelling Scaly. There was a strong cast of vangas, including Helmet, Bernier’s, and Sickle-billed. In fact, we saw every member of the family save the mysterious Red-tailed Newtonia which is only regularly seen in the far south. As normal, the couas were also a favorite. From the shy and beautiful Red-breasted of Madagascar Set Departure Tour Nov. 3-28, 2013 the eastern rainforest to the huge Giant Coua of the dry western forest, we were looking for and at couas virtually every day! The bizarre mesites form a Malagasy endemic family, and we had superb extended views of all three members of the family. -
Leptosomiformes ~ Trogoniformes ~ Bucerotiformes ~ Piciformes
Birds of the World part 6 Afroaves The core landbirds originating in Africa TELLURAVES: AFROAVES – core landbirds originating in Africa (8 orders) • ORDER ACCIPITRIFORMES – hawks and allies (4 families, 265 species) – Family Cathartidae – New World vultures (7 species) – Family Sagittariidae – secretarybird (1 species) – Family Pandionidae – ospreys (2 species) – Family Accipitridae – kites, hawks, and eagles (255 species) • ORDER STRIGIFORMES – owls (2 families, 241 species) – Family Tytonidae – barn owls (19 species) – Family Strigidae – owls (222 species) • ORDER COLIIFORMES (1 family, 6 species) – Family Coliidae – mousebirds (6 species) • ORDER LEPTOSOMIFORMES (1 family, 1 species) – Family Leptosomidae – cuckoo-roller (1 species) • ORDER TROGONIFORMES (1 family, 43 species) – Family Trogonidae – trogons (43 species) • ORDER BUCEROTIFORMES – hornbills and hoopoes (4 families, 74 species) – Family Upupidae – hoopoes (4 species) – Family Phoeniculidae – wood hoopoes (9 species) – Family Bucorvidae – ground hornbills (2 species) – Family Bucerotidae – hornbills (59 species) • ORDER PICIFORMES – woodpeckers and allies (9 families, 443 species) – Family Galbulidae – jacamars (18 species) – Family Bucconidae – puffbirds (37 species) – Family Capitonidae – New World barbets (15 species) – Family Semnornithidae – toucan barbets (2 species) – Family Ramphastidae – toucans (46 species) – Family Megalaimidae – Asian barbets (32 species) – Family Lybiidae – African barbets (42 species) – Family Indicatoridae – honeyguides (17 species) – Family -
The Platypus Is Not a Rodent: DNA Hybridization, Amniote Phylogeny and the Palimpsest Theory
The platypus is not a rodent: DNA hybridization, amniote phylogeny and the palimpsest theory John A. W. Kirsch1* and Gregory C. Mayer1,2 1The University of Wisconsin Zoological Museum, 250 North Mills Street, Madison,WI 53706, USA 2Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Kenosha,WI 53141, USA We present DNA-hybridization data on 21 amniotes and two anurans showing that discrimination is obtained among most of these at the class and lower levels. Trees generated from these data largely agree with conventional views, for example in not associating birds and mammals. However, the sister relation- ships found here of the monotremes to marsupials, and of turtles to the alligator, are surprising results which are nonetheless consistent with the results of some other studies. The Marsupionta hypothesis of Gregory is reviewed, as are opinions about the placement of chelonians. Anatomical and reproductive data considered by Gregory do not unequivocally preclude a marsupial^monotreme special relationship, and there is other recent evidence for placing turtles within the Diapsida. We conclude that the evidential meaning of the molecular data is as shown in the trees, but that the topologies may be in£uenced by a base- compositional bias producing a seemingly slow evolutionary rate in monotremes, or by algorithmic artefacts (in the case of turtles as well). Keywords: Chelonia; Crocodilia; Eutheria; Marsupialia; Marsupionta; molecular evolution `Unyielding factualists have so set the style in taxonomy relationships continue to be debated, `everyone knows' and morphology that, if their assertions were accepted, that the latter result cannot be correct. hardly any known type of animal could possibly have The orthodox view of the phylogeny of mammals been derived even from any known past group.' regards monotremes (the living `Prototheria') as the Gregory (1947, p. -
Attempting to See One Member of Each of the World's Bird Families Has
Attempting to see one member of each of the world’s bird families has become an increasingly popular pursuit among birders. Given that we share that aim, the two of us got together and designed what we believe is the most efficient strategy to pursue this goal. Editor’s note: Generally, the scientific names for families (e.g., Vireonidae) are capital- ized, while the English names for families (e.g., vireos) are not. In this article, however, the English names of families are capitalized for ease of recognition. The ampersand (&) is used only within the name of a family (e.g., Guans, Chachalacas, & Curassows). 8 Birder’s Guide to Listing & Taxonomy | October 2016 Sam Keith Woods Ecuador Quito, [email protected] Barnes Hualien, Taiwan [email protected] here are 234 extant bird families recognized by the eBird/ Clements checklist (2015, version 2015), which is the offi- T cial taxonomy for world lists submitted to ABA’s Listing Cen- tral. The other major taxonomic authority, the IOC World Bird List (version 5.1, 2015), lists 238 families (for differences, see Appendix 1 in the expanded online edition). While these totals may appear daunting, increasing numbers of birders are managing to see them all. In reality, save for the considerable time and money required, finding a single member of each family is mostly straightforward. In general, where family totals or family names are mentioned below, we use the eBird/Clements taxonomy unless otherwise stated. Family Feuds: How do world regions compare? In descending order, the number of bird families supported by con- tinental region are: Asia (125 Clements/124 IOC), Africa (122 Clem- ents/126 IOC), Australasia (110 Clements/112 IOC), North America (103 Clements/IOC), South America (93 Clements/94 IOC), Europe (73 Clements/74 IOC ), and Antarctica (7 Clements/IOC). -
Mammalian Organogenesis in Deep Time: Tools for Teaching and Outreach Marcelo R
Sánchez‑Villagra and Werneburg Evo Edu Outreach (2016) 9:11 DOI 10.1186/s12052-016-0062-y REVIEW Open Access Mammalian organogenesis in deep time: tools for teaching and outreach Marcelo R. Sánchez‑Villagra1 and Ingmar Werneburg1,2,3,4* Abstract Mammals constitute a rich subject of study on evolution and development and provide model organisms for experi‑ mental investigations. They can serve to illustrate how ontogeny and phylogeny can be studied together and how the reconstruction of ancestors of our own evolutionary lineage can be approached. Likewise, mammals can be used to promote ’tree thinking’ and can provide an organismal appreciation of evolutionary changes. This subject is suitable for the classroom and to the public at large given the interest and familiarity of people with mammals and their closest relatives. We present a simple exercise in which embryonic development is presented as a transforma‑ tive process that can be observed, compared, and analyzed. In addition, we provide and discuss a freely available animation on organogenesis and life history evolution in mammals. An evolutionary tree can be the best tool to order and understand those transformations for different species. A simple exercise introduces the subject of changes in developmental timing or heterochrony and its importance in evolution. The developmental perspective is relevant in teaching and outreach efforts for the understanding of evolutionary theory today. Keywords: Development, Ontogeny, Embryology, Phylogeny, Heterochrony, Recapitulation, Placentalia, Human Background (Gilbert 2013), followed by the growth process. In pla- Mammals are a diverse group in which to examine devel- cental mammals, organogenesis takes place mostly in the opment and evolution, and besides the mouse and the rat uterus, whereas in monotremes and marsupials a very used in biomedical research, provide subjects based on immature hatchling or newborn, respectively, develops which experimental (Harjunmaa et al. -
A Community Effort to Annotate the Chicken Genome
bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/012559; this version posted December 12, 2014. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY 4.0 International license. Submitted to Cytogenetic and Genome Research as part of the Third Report on Chicken Genes and Chromosomes The Avian RNAseq Consortium: a community effort to annotate the chicken genome (Prepared by Jacqueline Smith, David W. Burt and the Avian RNAseq Consortium) Publication of the chicken genome sequence in 2004 (International Chicken Genome Sequencing Consortium 2004) highlighted the beginning of a revolution in avian genomics. Progression of DNA sequencing technologies and data handling capabilities has also meant that genome sequencing and assembly is now a relatively simple, fast and inexpensive procedure. The success seen with the chicken genome was soon followed by the completion of the zebra finch genome (Warren et al., 2010), an important model for neurobiology (Clayton et al., 2009), again based on Sanger sequencing. In recent years the rapid advances in Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies, hardware and software have meant that many more genomes can now be sequenced faster and cheaper than ever before (Metzker, 2010). The first avian genome to be sequenced by NGS methods was the turkey (Dalloul et al., 2010), which was also integrated with genetic and physical maps thus providing an assembly of high quality, even at the chromosome level. Recently, NGS has been used to sequence the genomes of a further 42 avian species, as part of the G10K initiative (Genome 10K Community of Scientists, 2009). -
LSNY Proceedings 54-57, 1941-1945
Nf\- i\l HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARY OF THE Museum of Comparative Zoology \ - .>v 4 _ ' /I 1941-1945 Nos. 54-57 PROCEEDINGS OF THE . LINNAEAN SOCIETY OF NEW YORK For the Four Years Ending March, 1945 Date of Issue, September 16, 1946 J • r'-' ;; :j 1941-1945 Nos. 54-57 PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINNAEAN SOCIETY OF NEW YORK For the Four Years Ending March, 1945 Date of Issue, September 16, 1946 S^t-, .7- Table of Contents Some Critical Phylogenetic Stages Leading to the Flight of Birds William K. Gregory 1 The Chickadee Flight of 1941-1942 Hustace H. Poor 16 The Ornithological Year 1944 in the New York City Region John L. Bull, Jr. 28 Suggestions to the Field Worker and Bird Bander Avian Pathology 36 Collecting Mallophaga 38 General Notes Rare Gulls at The Narrows, Brooklyn, in the Winter of 1943-1944 40 Comments on Identifying Rare Gulls 42 Breeding of the Herring Gull in Connecticut — 43 Data on Some of the Seabird Colonies of Eastern Long Island 44 New York City Seabird Colonies 46 Royal Terns on Long Island 47 A Feeding Incident of the Black-Billed Cuckoo 49 Eastern Long Island Records of the Nighthawk 50 Proximity of Occupied Kingfisher Nests 51 Further Spread of the Prairie Horned Lark on Long Island 52 A Late Black-Throated Warbler 53 Interchange of Song between Blue-Winged and Golden-Winged Warblers 1942- 53 Predation by Grackles 1943- 54 1944- Observations on Birds Relative to the Predatory New York Weasel 56 Clinton Hart Merriam (1855-1942) First President of the Linnaean Society of New York A.