DOCSLIB.ORG

The Secret Life of Dodos, Revealed by Marlowe Hood, AFP, Adapted by Newsela Staff on 09.26.17 Word Count 529 Level MAX

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Secret Life of Dodos, Revealed by Marlowe Hood, AFP, Adapted by Newsela Staff on 09.26.17 Word Count 529 Level MAX The secret life of dodos, revealed By Marlowe Hood, AFP, adapted by Newsela staff on 09.26.17 Word Count 529 Level MAX A skeleton cast and model of dodo at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. These models were made based on recent research into the extinct, flightless bird. Photo from: Wikimedia Commons. Has any animal suffered greater indignity than the ill-fated dodo? "A strange and grotesque specimen of bird ... bearing a ridiculous bent bill," was the verdict of early 17th century Dutch admiral and explorer Wybrand van Warwijck. Subsequent expeditions of sailors feasted on the helpless fowl even as they disparaged the flavor of its flesh. They wrote that it tasted like "the devil's chicken." Extinct By 1680 By 1680, the dodo — found only on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius — was extinct, wiped out by human appetites and invasive species brought by settlers. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. So deep was our contempt for this unfortunate creature that during a century of co-habitation no one bothered to closely observe its habits. Nor accurately describe the bird's anatomy. And then, it was too late. Adding insult to injury, early scientists dubbed the dodo "Raphus cucullatus." They decided that it belonged to the same family as the lowly pigeon. It's informal name may be derived from the Dutch term "dodoor," which means sluggard. "The dodo is frequently described as a stupid, fat bird," said Delphine Angst. She is a biologist at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. "But truth be told, we know almost nothing about it," she said. In a study published earlier this month in the journal Scientific Reports, lead author Angst and colleagues from the Natural History Museum in London make important headway in filling that knowledge void. Using techniques that would impress Sherlock Holmes, they mapped out the animal's reproductive and growth cycle. Reproduction Cycle Determined By Histology Females dodos, they determined, ovulated in August, during the southern hemisphere winter. They laid eggs that hatched in September. "The chicks grew very quickly to be strong enough to endure the austral summer, which is the season of cyclones and storms on Mauritius," Angst said. At the end of summer around March, young dodos would start to molt. Battered by the storms, they would lose their birthday suits and grow adult feathers. "By the end of July, all the feathers would have been renewed and the period of reproduction could start," said Angst. Dodos probably weighed 22 to 30 pounds, she added. How did Angst and her team figure all this out? By analyzing the microscopic structure of crushed dodo bones. The technique is called histology. It is not new, but it had never been applied to the world's most famous flightless bird. "Histology has been around for decades," explained Angst. But for a long time it could not be applied to dodo fossils — "up to now," she said. Somehow, Angst and her colleagues managed to convince museum curators around the world to donate samples for the study. In the end, they had 22 bones from 22 different dodos to work with. The bird's courtship and mating rituals, however, are still a mystery. They may always remain so. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz 1 Choose the paragraph from the section "Extinct By 1680" that suggests not much is known about the dodo bird because people did NOT like it. 2 Which detail BEST describes how Angst is learning more about dodo birds? (A) Angst is a scientist from South Africa. (B) Angst is destroying bones to study the dodo. (C) Angst is trying to bring dodo birds back from extinction. (D) Angst is borrowing bones from different museums. 3 Which detail would be MOST important to include in a summary of the article? (A) Subsequent expeditions of sailors feasted on the helpless fowl even as they disparaged the flavor of its flesh. (B) Its informal name may be derived from the Dutch term "dodoor," which means sluggard. (C) Using techniques that would impress Sherlock Holmes, they mapped out the animal's reproductive and growth cycle. (D) "By the end of July, all the feathers would have been renewed and the period of reproduction could start," said Angst. 4 Read the following detail from the article. "A strange and grotesque specimen of bird ... bearing a ridiculous bent bill," was the verdict of early 17th century Dutch admiral and explorer Wybrand van Warwijck. How does this detail develop the central idea of the article? (A) It shows how the bird's life cycle affected its survival and later extinction. (B) It describes what the researchers thought when they studied the bird's bones. (C) It explains why so many settlers killed the bird and later ate it. (D) It provides insight of what people who were living with the bird thought of it. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Fuzzy Simplicial Networks: a Topology-Inspired Model to Improve Task Generalization in Few-Shot Learning
    Fuzzy Simplicial Networks: A Topology-Inspired Model to Improve Task Generalization in Few-shot Learning Henry Kvinge∗, Zachary New∗, Nico Courts∗y, Jung H. Lee∗, Lauren A. Phillipsz, Courtney D. Corleyz, Aaron Tuor∗, Andrew Avilaz, Nathan O. Hodasz September 24, 2020 Abstract Deep learning has shown great success in settings with massive amounts of data but has struggled when data is limited. Few-shot learning algorithms, which seek to address this limitation, are designed to generalize well to new tasks with limited data. Typically, models are evaluated on unseen classes and datasets that are defined by the same fundamental task as they are trained for (e.g. category membership). One can also ask how well a model can generalize to fundamentally different tasks within a fixed dataset (for example: moving from category membership to tasks that involve detecting object orientation or quantity). To formalize this kind of shift we define a notion of independence of tasks and identify three new sets of labels for established computer vision datasets that test a model's ability to generalize to tasks which draw on orthogonal attributes in the data. We use these datasets to investigate the failure modes of metric-based few-shot models. Based on our findings, we introduce a new few-shot model called Fuzzy Simplicial Networks (FSN) which leverages a construction from topology to more flexibly represent each class from limited data. In particular, FSN models can not only form multiple representations for a given class but can also begin to capture the low-dimensional structure which characterizes class manifolds in the encoded space of deep networks.
    [Show full text]
  • Beaks at the Bird Buffet
    Beaks at the Bird Buffet Introduction A bird’s beak is a bony elongation of its skull that is covered in keratin, the same material that makes up your hair and fingernails. Birds use their beaks as tools. Beaks help birds gather food, groom their feathers, defend themselves, and build their nests. The shape of a bird’s beak gives us clues to figuring out its main source of food, as a bird’s beak is designed for eating a particular type of food. Raptors like owls, hawks, and vultures have grasping beaks. These beaks are hooked shaped which allows for tearing apart prey or carrion. Similar to a raptor’s beak, a cardinal’s beaks is a heavy thick beak that they use to crack seeds. Birds like a spoonbill have a long, flat, scooping beak that scoops up food like fish or insects in the water. Ducks also get their food from the water. Their flat shovel beaks allow them to scoop up fish or plants and then drain out water before swallowing. A hummingbird’s beak is long and thin, which allows it to reach into tight places for its food-like getting nectar out of a flower. For this activity, you will need a clothes pin, a spoon, chopsticks, and a craft stick - these are your beaks. A cup or bowl will serve as your bird’s stomach. Lay your “food” out on a table and select your first beak. See how much food you are able to pick up with your beak and move to your stomach in 30 seconds.
    [Show full text]
  • Nā Māhele O Ka Manu Bird Anatomy
    distance learning guides Nā Māhele o ka Manu Bird Anatomy guiding How can you use the parts of a bird to help you identify different question bird species? what we’ll There are over 10,000 species of birds worldwide! They play important roles in our environment like pollinating plants as well as helping to disperse their learn seeds. Identifying birds can be tricky, but it’s rewarding to know who is helping to shape the environment around you. Learning a little about the parts of a bird, or bird anatomy, can help us identify different bird species. For example, a field guide says the ʻUlili, or Wandering Tattler, has a “light superciliary.” If you know that the superciliary is the “eyebrow” or feathers right above the eye of the bird, you can double check this to make sure you have correctly identified the bird you are seeing. We’ll also explore nā māhele o ka manu, the parts of the bird, in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi! time 1 hour materials • Smartphone, tablet or desktop computer connected to the internet (to access the Cornell Bird Academy website) • “Nā Māhele o ka Manu” diagram and terms on pages 3 & 4 of this guide • Learning journal or blank pieces of paper get started Think about birds that you have seen before, or better yet, head outside and look at some birds! Answer the following questions in your learning journal or on a piece of paper. These are to get our thoughts going and see what we already know, so there are no right or wrong answers! • What are some parts of birds that stand out to you? • Compare the parts of a bird to the parts of a human.
    [Show full text]
  • Birds, Beaks & Adaptations
    Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Birds, Beaks & Adaptations In a Nutshell Students will investigate bird adaptations first-hand by rotating through a series of feeding stations. Using a tool that simulates one style of bird beak, they will learn how adaptations connect birds to certain habitats and behaviors. Students will then take binoculars on a hike to observe other bird adaptations and behavior. Grade 2-6 Season Fall, Winter, Spring Location Rapids Lake Education Center & Bloomington Visitor Center Learning Objectives After these activities, students will be able to: • Identify different parts of the bird • Understand how to properly use binoculars. • Explain differences in birds using their four common identifying features • Describe the type of food a particular bird eats based on beak design. • Identify at least two other physical features that connect birds to the habitats they live in. • Successfully use binoculars to locate and focus on a bird. Literature Connections • Beaks By Sneed B. Collard III • Bird by David Andrew Burnie • What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? by Robin Page • Fine Feathered Friends: All about Birds by Tish Rabe • She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head! by Kathryn Lasky & David Catrow • Unbeatable Beaks by Stephen R. Swinburne Pre-Activities Students will learn what makes birds different from other animals and be introduced to the activity of birding. Students will identify characteristics of birds based on color, shape and size. Students will also learn the basic anatomy of birds. Using observation, communication and critical thinking skills, students will identify bird characteristics and demonstrate what they have learned through a drawing activity.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Sketching Birds
    Welcome to Introduction to Sketching Birds with Christine Elder See ChristineElder.com/birds for resources WHAT WE’LL COVER TODAY • Why sketch? • Bird Anatomy • Tools & Techniques • Demonstration • Practice Anyone Can Learn Sketching Skills! A BIT ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR Illustration & Design Projects Workshops & Classes Birds are a favorite subject WHY SKETCH BIRDS? • Sharpen observation skills • Help identify birds in the field • As a research tool • For pleasure Joys of sketching and observing birds in their natural habitat Finding birds to sketch • Photos from magazines and web • Preserved specimens and study skins • Museum dioramas, zoos, pet stores, gardens • In the wild ANATOMY - HEAD TO TOE What to notice and depict in your sketches An understanding of basic bird anatomy and how it varies among species is vital to being able to sketch them realistically Body shape Shape is highly variable! Skeleton determines the shape Skeleton & body Coloration & Field Marks • Colors often follow feather tracks Color, size and shape are effected by gender, age, season, weather, health eyes eyes Beaks Beaks Jaw articulation Wings Basic parts of the wing Feathers of the Wing Feathers Wings Primary Projection Long Primaries Short Primaries Tails Tails Outer tail feathers longest Inner tail feathers longest Tail feathers same length Notice how feathers overlap Legs Foot anatomy Feet SKETCHING MATERIALS WHAT TO DEPICT IN SKETCHES • Most important: – 1st: Shape (silhouette) – 2nd: Color patterns /field marks – 3rd: Notes on behavior, questions you have
    [Show full text]
  • Comparing Bird Beaks: Form and Function Grades: 3-6 Minimum Time: 30 Minutes
    Comparing Bird Beaks: Form and Function Grades: 3-6 Minimum Time: 30 minutes In this lesson students will use the skull collection in the Exploring Birds Kit to examine a diverse assemblage of bird skull replicas. Students will make observations about different beaks and predict how the beak helps the bird survive. Students will learn how specialization allows different species to coexist in the same environment. This lesson can be paired with Bird Beak Buffet (BBB), either offered after to further learning about adaptations or before as an introduction to the form and function of bird anatomy. Materials: Comparative bird skull set: Red tailed Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, American Crow, Northern Cardinal, Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Food cards/images: Seeds, fruit, small mammal, tree with holes and grubs, flowers, earthworm and assortment of pet and human foods. Learning Objectives: Bird beaks are an important adaptation that enable birds to obtain food All bird species have a beak that is uniquely adapted to a particular food Identify 5 basic beak types Vocabulary: Adaptation, specialization Background information: Bird beaks are an important physical adaptation that allows birds to survive in their habitat. Different birds fill different niches in their environment and each species has a unique beak adapted for obtaining and consuming a particular food. Because of this diversity, competition is reduced and many species are able to coexist within the same area. A bird’s beak is one of the characteristics used for identifying it. This set of 5 bird skulls represents a variety of adaptations specialized for exploiting different foods. Northern cardinal has a cracker type beak: short, conical and thick for cracking seeds and nuts.
    [Show full text]
  • “Hollow” Bones: Long Bones Have Air Pockets and Are Reinforced with Struts Bird Anatomy: Muscles and Flight Both Flight Muscles Attached to Keel
    Birds What is a bird? Endothermic, vertebrate High metabolic rate Four chambered heart Beak with no teeth Bipedal Arms modified as wings Lays egg with hard outer shell Strong, light weight skeleton Sister to Crocodiles Diverged in Late Jurassic ~ 160 mya Evolution of Birds Evolved from theropod dinosaurs Early feathers used for insulation, camouflage, attraction Arms too short Bodies too heavy Key adaptations for flight Reduction an fusion of digits Hollow bones Fusion of clavicles (furcula) Feather development Closed with barbules and hooks Asymmetrical feathers (flight) Loss of teeth Reduction of bony tail (pygostyle) Modern birds diverged ~150 mya Archaeopteryx lithographica Modern Bird Reptile Features Features Three claws on wing Flight feathers Flat sternum Asymmetrical Ribs Wings Jaw bones with teeth Furcula Long, bony tail Fusion of metacarpals and phalanges Larger braincase Similarities of Birds to Mammals and Reptiles Characteristic Reptiles Birds Mammals Occipital condyle One One Two Lower jaw bones Several Several One (mandible) Inner ear bones One (stapes) One (stapes) Three (malleus, stapes, incus) Ankles Sited in tarsus Sited in tarsus Between tibia and tarsi Red blood cells Nucleated Nucleated Non-nucleated Heart Three-chambered (except Four-chambered Four-chambered crocodilians) Thermoregulation Ectothermic Endothermic Endothermic Reproduction Oviparity (most) Oviparity Viviparous (most) Egg shell Leathery Hard Leathery (monotremes) Anatomy of the Feather Calamus: smooth base of feather
    [Show full text]
  • The Morphological Basis of the Arm-To-Wing Transition
    REVIEWARTICLE TheMorphologicalBasisoftheArm-to-Wing Transition SamuelO.Poore,MD,PhD Human-powered flight has fascinated scientists, artists, and physicians for centuries. This history includes Abbas Ibn Firnas, a Spanish inventor who attempted the first well-documented human flight; Leonardo da Vinci and his flying machines; the Turkish inventor Hezarfen Ahmed Celebi; and the modern aeronautical pioneer Otto Lilienthal. These historic figures held in common their attempts to construct wings from man-made materials, and though their human-powered attempts at flight never came to fruition, the ideas and creative elements contained within their flying machines were essential to modern aeronautics. Since the time of these early pioneers, flight has continued to captivate humans, and recently, in a departure from creating wings from artificial elements, there has been discussion of using reconstructive surgery to fabricate human wings from human arms. This article is a descriptive study of how one might attempt such a reconstruction and in doing so calls upon essential evidence in the evolution of flight, an understanding of which is paramount to constructing human wings from arms. This includes a brief analysis and exploration of the anatomy of the 150-million-year-oldArchaeopteryx lithographicafossil , with particular emphasis on the skeletal organization of this primitive bird’s wing and wrist. Additionally, certain elements of the reconstruction must be drawn from an analysis of modern birds including a description of the specialized shoulder of the EuropeanSturnus starling, vulgaris . With this anatomic description in tow, basic calculations regarding wing loading and allometry suggest that human wings would likely be nonfunctional. However, with the proper reconstructive balance betweenArchaeopteryx primitive) and ( modernSturnus ),( and in attempting to integrate a careful analysis of bird anatomy with modern surgical techniques, the newly constructed human wings could functioncosmetic asfeatures simulating, for example, the nonfunctional wings of flightless birds.
    [Show full text]
  • Desert Birding in Arizona with a Focus on Urban Birds
    Desert Birding in Arizona With a Focus on Urban Birds By Doris Evans Illustrations by Doris Evans and Kim Duffek A Curriculum Guide for Elementary Grades Tucson Audubon Society Urban Biology Program Funded by: Arizona Game & Fish Department Heritage Fund Grant Tucson Water Tucson Audubon Society Desert Birding in Arizona With a Focus on Urban Birds By Doris Evans Illustrations by Doris Evans and Kim Duffek A Curriculum Guide for Elementary Grades Tucson Audubon Society Urban Biology Program Funded by: Arizona Game & Fish Department Heritage Fund Grant Tucson Water Tucson Audubon Society Tucson Audubon Society Urban Biology Education Program Urban Birding is the third of several projected curriculum guides in Tucson Audubon Society’s Urban Biology Education Program. The goal of the program is to provide educators with information and curriculum tools for teaching biological and ecological concepts to their students through the studies of the wildlife that share their urban neighborhoods and schoolyards. This project was funded by an Arizona Game and Fish Department Heritage Fund Grant, Tucson Water, and Tucson Audubon Society. Copyright 2001 All rights reserved Tucson Audubon Society Arizona Game and Fish Department 300 East University Boulevard, Suite 120 2221 West Greenway Road Tucson, Arizona 85705-7849 Phoenix, Arizona 85023 Urban Birding Curriculum Guide Page Table of Contents Acknowledgements i Preface ii Section An Introduction to the Lessons One Why study birds? 1 Overview of the lessons and sections Lesson What’s That Bird? 3 One
    [Show full text]
  • A Portrayal of Biomechanics in Avian Flight
    Rochester Institute of Technology RIT Scholar Works Theses 3-1-2014 A Portrayal of Biomechanics in Avian Flight Kelly M. Kage Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses Recommended Citation Kage, Kelly M., "A Portrayal of Biomechanics in Avian Flight" (2014). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The College of Health Sciences and Technology Medical Illustration In Candidacy for the Degree of MASTER OF FINE ARTS A PORTRAYAL OF BIOMECHANICS IN AVIAN FLIGHT By Kelly M. Kage Date: March 1, 2014 Thesis Title: A Portrayal of Biomechanics in Avian Flight Thesis Author: Kelly M. Kage Chief Advisor: Professor James Perkins Date: Associate Advisor: Associate Professor Glen Hintz Date: Associate Advisor: Professor John Waud Date: Department Chairperson: Vice Dean Dr. Richard Doolittle Date: i ABSTRACT The art of avian flight is incredibly complex and sophisticated. It is one of the most energy- intensive modes of animal locomotion, and requires specific anatomical and physiological adaptations. I believe that in order to truly comprehend the beauty and complexity of avian flight, it is necessary to clearly visualize the anatomical adaptations found in birds. To aid in the visualization process, I set out to produce a series of educational animations that focus on the biomechanical requirements for flight. These requirements are numerous and complex, often making the flight process difficult to visualize and understand.
    [Show full text]
  • Birds, Adaptation, Habitat Ages: 5-8 Years Old Prep Time: 5 Minutes Activity Time: 20 Minutes
    Bird Beak Buffet Theme: Birds, Adaptation, Habitat Ages: 5-8 years old Prep Time: 5 minutes Activity Time: 20 minutes Activity Summary: Hudson River Park provides important habitat to a range of local and migrating bird species including Canada geese, red tailed hawks, song sparrows and northern flicker woodpeckers, just to name a few. In fact, there are over 100 species of birds that fly through the Park every year! This lesson teaches students how each bird species has unique adaptations to help them get the food they need to survive with an interactive game we like to call Bird Beak Buffet. Students will discover how specific beak shapes are indicators of where, how and what a bird eats. The diversity of beak shapes within the park allows for so many species to thrive right here in our backyard. Goals: ● To understand that there are many different bird species in Hudson River Park ● To understand different bird species have different types of beaks to match their diet ● To connect different bird species’ diet to their preferred environment ● To practice fine motor skills during an activity that compares tools to bird beak function Lesson Materials: ● Bird Beak Buffet Lesson Plan ● Bird Beak Buffet Worksheet (printed or screenshot on a smartphone or tablet) ● Paper (optional) ● Pencil ● 2 Small bowls ● Tweezers ● Chopsticks ● Dried beans OR Cereal Or Dry Pet Food Pellets ● Timer Background: Hudson River Park is home to over 100 species of birds! Birds are complex creatures that come in all different shapes, sizes and colors. Through time, particular genetic information and adaptations have been passed down to offspring shaping each bird species’ unique form based on its environment.
    [Show full text]
  • Schools' Booklet
    Opwall Schools’ Booklet Portugal 2022 Contents 1. Terrestrial project overview and research objectives .......................................... 2 Iberian Peninsula.................................................................................................................... 2 Peneda Gerês National Park and Tourém.............................................................................. 3 Peneda Gerês National Park Aims and Objectives ................................................................ 5 2. Week 1 Itinerary ................................................................................................ 6 3. Biodiversity Monitoring ..................................................................................... 7 4. Iberian Ecology and Conservation Course ......................................................... 10 5. Learning Outcomes from Week 1 ..................................................................... 11 6. Marine Project Overview ................................................................................. 11 Berlengas Biosphere Reserve ............................................................................... 11 7. Week 2 Itinerary .............................................................................................. 12 8. Berlengas Marine Ecology Course..................................................................... 13 9. PADI Open Water Diver Course ........................................................................ 14 10. PADI Open Water Referral Course .................................................................
    [Show full text]