Ornithology

Midterm Review

Spring 2012

 NOTE: This has been updated with some new topics that were missing before (1 March 2012)

Some general advice:

1)      Recall that the goal of this course is to do two things: provide you with facts about birds and to increase your understanding of the scientific process by emphasizing broad hypotheses. Birds provide the data with which to test those hypotheses. The exam will test you on both of these things.

2)      So, given #1, I recommend you review each lecture to identify the big ideas and then use lecture notes and the book to hunt down evidence pertaining to those ideas. Several of the big ideas cut across multiple weeks.

3)      Be ready for a test that asks too much. I prefer essay exams, which allows you a lot of flexibility. But, do not take this to mean that you can put down a superficial explanation. Details are the meat of good tests of ideas. The more you provide relevant detail, the better, but this means you could run out of time.

Topics

I.                   Evidence for evolution

a.       Alternative hypotheses

b.      Anagenesis vs cladogenesis

c.       Predictions of hypotheses

d.      Examples of evidence

II.                Mechanisms of Change

a.       Alternative hypotheses

                                                              i.      Environment

                                                            ii.      Mutation

                                                          iii.      Genetic drift

                                                          iv.      Natural selection

b.      Examples

III.             Speciation

a.       Definitions

                                                              i.      Biological species concept

                                                            ii.      Phylogenetic species concept

b.      Importance of barriers to gene flow

c.       Allopatric

                                                              i.      Examples (Darwin's finches)

d.      Sympatric

                                                              i.      Examples (paper on crossbills)

IV.             Origins of Birds

a.       Definition of bird clade

b.      Cladistics terms

                                                              i.      Synapomorphy

                                                            ii.      Homoplasy

                                                          iii.      Convergence

                                                          iv.      Divergence

c.       Hypothesized ancestor

                                                              i.      Lizard

                                                            ii.      Other reptile

                                                          iii.      Theropod dinosaur

d.      Types of evidence

e.       Examples of transitions

                                                              i.      Archeopteryx

                                                            ii.      Caudipteryx

                                                          iii.      Protoarcheopteryx

                                                          iv.      Sinosauropteryx

                                                            v.      Confusciusornis

f.       Problems with the dinosaur hypothesis

V.                Use of phylogenies

a.       How to construct phylogeny

b.      Types of tests using phylogeny (Paper on olfaction, blackbird mating systems)

VI.             Flight and Feathers

a.       Origin hypotheses (Cursorial vs Arboreal)

                                                              i.      Lessons from development regarding digits

                                                            ii.      Comparisons of limb morphology (Paper)

b.      Functions

                                                              i.      Preadaptation

                                                            ii.      Conflicting demands

1.      Foraging and preening

2.      Molt

3.      Displays

VII.          Energy and metabolism

a.       Conflicting demands (again)

                                                              i.      Costs and benefits (Plover paper on foraging, BMR and immune system)

                                                            ii.      Fat storage

b. Phenotypic plasticity and conflicting demands (example: Immune system)

1.      Example of condition-dependent trade-off (tree swallows)

2.      Example of specificity trade-off (great reed warblers)

3.      Immunopathology trade-off (zebra finch free radicals)

VIII.       Social behavior

a.       Benefits of living in groups

                                                              i.      Predation

                                                            ii.      Information

                                                          iii.      Nepotism and resource sharing

b.      Minimizing costs within group

                                                              i.      Dominance and aggression (Paper on dove aggression)

                                                            ii.      Status-signaling

                                                          iii.      Producer-scrounger