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CLASS AVES. BY MRS OZEMOKA H.J. CLASS AVES by MRS OZEMOKA H.J. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial - ShareAlike 4.0 International License. INTRODUCTION. Birds or Aves are the most noticeable, melodious and most beautiful of the vertebrates.
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CLASS AVES BY MRS OZEMOKA H.J. CLASS AVES by MRS OZEMOKA H.J. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
INTRODUCTION • Birds or Aves are the most noticeable, melodious and most beautiful of the vertebrates. • There are more than 10,400 species world wide. • They are found in the forests, deserts, mountains, praires and all oceans.
CHARACTERISTICS • They are endothermic or warm blooded. • Their forelimbs are modified as wings. • They combine flight with bipedalismi.e two footed locomotion. • They have light bones which support flight and the body framework. • Feathers are a unique feature in birds. • They have scaly legs (lower part of the hind limb)
INTRODUCTION CONTINUES • They have a horny beak, which is a modification of the jaws. • They have no teeth. • They have a four chambered heart. • Their lungs have air pouches for gaseous exchange. • They lack external ear lobe.They possess a large pectoral girdle with a wide sternum which is provided with keel for attachment of flight muscles (except in flightless birds like Ostrich). • Fertilization is internal. • The skull consist of a single occipital condyle (a smallbony knob).
CLASSIFICATION • The class is divided into two super order namely: • Paleognathae • Neognathae.
Super order Paleognathae • It means ancient jaw. It includes modern birds with ancestral archosaurian palate. Examples include: Ostriches, Cassowaries, kiwis etc.
Super order: Neognathae • They are modern birds with flexible palate. The various orders include: Anseriformese.g Goose Galliformese.g Quail, Turkeys, domestic fowl etc. Sphenisciformese.g Penguins. They have short wings and are marine swimmers. Gaviiformese.g Loons which are swimmers and diverers. Phoenicopteriformese.gflamigos
ASSIGNMENT 2 • Write on the different feathers found in birds. Describe them and state their functions. • Write an essay on migration in birds. • Write on the feet and beak modification as it relates to their feeding