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Bird Flight Anatomy: Feathers, Adaptations, and Generating Lift, Exams of Biology

The external features of birds, focusing on feathers and their role in flight. It discusses the different types of feathers, their structures, and how they contribute to flight. Additionally, it covers adaptations birds underwent for flight, such as the loss of forelegs and the evolution of wings. The document also explains the importance of generating lift and reducing drag in bird flight.

Typology: Exams

Pre 2010

Uploaded on 08/18/2009

koofers-user-2ov
koofers-user-2ov 🇺🇸

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Download Bird Flight Anatomy: Feathers, Adaptations, and Generating Lift and more Exams Biology in PDF only on Docsity!

Feathers & Bird Flight

Types of Feathers

• Down Feathers:

primarily for

insulation

• Contour Feathers:

cover and smooth

the body of bird

• Flight Feathers:

d’uh, for flying.

Flight Feather Structure

Barbs off

shaft have

interlocking

barbules

and hooks

to hold

feather

together.

vane

How could you test these

hypotheses?

  • Fossil evidence
  • Small dinosaur

with downy-like feathers over entire body (discovered 2001)

  • Suggests that

feathers evolved for insulation.

Feather Tracts-feathers arranged in

zones or bands.

Reduction of Weight

  • Lighter bones
  • Reduction of number of bones
  • Loss of dense teeth.

bird

bat

human

Rigid Framework

• Ribs modified to

join vertebrae with

sternum

• Fusion of bones

and tight

articulations.

Flight Feathers on Wing and Tail

• Wing feathers –

Asymmetrical (remiges)

• Tail feathers-tend

to be more symmetrical (rectrices).

Adaptations for Flight

• Flight Feather

Locations ٠ Primaries attached to bones of the hand ٠ Secondaries attached to the ulna.

Generating Lift

• Air over wing

traveling faster, less air pressure

• Air under wing travel

slower, more air pressure

• Difference results in

greater pressure applied under wing: lift!

The Problem of Stalling

• Angle of wing is

important

• Too Steep of angle

and turbulence results reducing lift.

Reducing Drag

• Induced Drag is

curling of air from underwing to top of wing tip

• Solutions:

٠ Reduce wing tip area ٠ Slot the wing tip into ‘winglets’

Reducing Drag

• Friction Drag is due to

air moving over the bird

• Solution: thin leading

edge slicing through the air.