Name

Class

Date

Assessment

Chapter Test A
Birds
In the space provided, write the letter of the description that best matches the
term or phrase.

______ 1. preen gland

a. able to walk, swim, and feed at hatching

______ 2. barbule

b. chamber of a birds stomach where food is

crushed

______ 3. wishbone
______ 4. gizzard

c. structure that secretes oil to be spread over

a birds feathers
d. geese and ducks

______ 5. altricial

e. hummingbirds and swifts

______ 6. precocial

f. fused collarbones of a bird

______ 7. Apodiformes

g. one of the projections on the branches of a

contour feather

______ 8. Anseriformes

h. blind, naked, and helpless at hatching

In the space provided, write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes
each statement or best answers each question.

______ 9. A birds skeleton is

a. composed of thin, hollow bones.
b. more rigid than a reptiles skeleton.
c. composed of many fused bones.
d. All of the above
______10. A birds crop
a. temporarily stores food.
b. is the first chamber of its stomach.
c. is critical for flight.
d. excretes uric acid.
______11. In flying birds, large flight muscles are directly attached to
a. leg muscles.
c. the keeled breastbone.
b. feathers.
d. air sacs.
______12. What characteristics are required for a beak that is used to tear apart
prey or vegetation?
a. long, spear-shaped
b. hooked, curved, and pointed
c. chisel-shaped
d. thin, slightly curved
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Modern Biology

325

Chapter Test

Name

Class

Date

Birds, Chapter Test A continued

______13. What is the function of a birds air sacs?
a. to allow one-way air flow through the lungs
b. to help provide lift during flight
c. to increase the buoyancy of diving birds
d. to provide additional area for gas exchange
______14. A short, thick, strong beak is usually found on birds that
a. sip nectar.
b. spear fish.
c. crack seeds.
d. probe for insects.
______15. The second chamber in the stomach of a bald eagle is known as the
a. crop.
b. gizzard.
c. esophagus.
d. cloaca.
______16. Which of the following characteristics are shared by birds and
dinosaurs?
a. dense, fused bones
b. feathers
c. flexible S-shaped neck
d. fused collarbone
______ 17. To produce song, birds regulate air flow through which of the
following structures?
a. posterior air sacs
b. syrinx
c. lungs
d. anterior air sacs
Complete each statement by writing the correct term or phrase in the space provided.

18. Like reptiles, birds lay

eggs and have

on their legs and feet.

19. The body of an adult bird is covered by

, which give the birds their shape.

20. In birds, the

have been modified into wings.

21. A long, flattened, rounded bill, as found in

adapted for sieving.
22. Feathers are modified reptilian

, is
.

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Modern Biology

326

Chapter Test

Name

Class

Date

Birds, Chapter Test A continued

Read each question, and write your answer in the space provided.

23. Name two types of feathers, and describe their functions.

24. Which is more efficienta bird lung or a reptile lung? Explain.

25. Briefly summarize the two main hypotheses for the evolution of flight.

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Modern Biology

327

Chapter Test

TEACHER RESOURCE PAGE

28. Answers include three of the following:

amount of oxygen transported to the

body cells. Also, because the flow of
blood in the lungs runs in a different
direction than the flow of air, oxygen
absorption is increased.
25. One hypothesis states that the ancestors of birds were tree dwellers that
glided between the branches; a second
hypothesis holds that winglike structures were used for stability and prey
capture in ground-dwelling species.

Dinosaurs were a diverse group of reptiles that varied in size, form, and habitat. Icthyosaurs were aquatic reptiles
that resembled dolphins. Plesiosaurs
were also aquatic, with long, flexible
necks and compact bodies. Pterosaurs
were flying reptiles.
29. The amnion is a membrane that
surrounds the embryo; it encloses
the salty fluid in which the embryo
floats and develops.
30. (a) Arrows should be drawn from the
body to the right atrium, then to the
lungs, then from the lungs to the left
atrium, then to the ventricle, and back
to the body. (b) 1. deoxygenated;
2. mixed; 3. oxygenated; 4. mixed
(c) 1. deoxygenated; 2. deoxygenated;
3. oxygenated; 4. oxygenated
(d) Crocodilia (e) Bypassing the lungs
allows an inactive reptile to conserve
energy and raise its temperature quickly.

Birds
Chapter Test B (Advanced)

Birds
Chapter Test A (General)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.

c
10. a
g
11. c
f
12. b
b
13. a
h
14. c
a
15. b
e
16. c
d
17. b
d
amniotic, scales
contour feathers
forelimbs
ducks
scales
Contour feathers cover an adult birds
body and give it shape. Specialized
contour feathers on the wings and
tail help provide lift for flight. Down
feathers cover young birds and are
found beneath the contour feathers
of adults. Down feathers conserve
body heat by providing insulation.
24. A bird lung is more efficient. The lungs
are connected to a series of air sacs
that make one-way air flow possible.
Thus, the lungs are exposed only to
oxygenated air, which increases the

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

a
13. f
l
14. a
c
15. c
h
16. c
d
17. c
j
18. d
b
19. b
k
20. c
i
21. d
e
22. a
g
23. a
h
Both types of air sacs store air. The
anterior air sacs receive oxygen-rich
air and send it to the lungs. The posterior air sacs receive oxygen-depleted
air leaving the lungs.
Precocial refers to birds that lay many
eggs and incubate them for long periods
of time. Altricial refers to birds that
lay few eggs that hatch quickly.
Answers include three of the following:
position of stars, topographical landmarks, Earths magnetic field, changes
in air pressure, and low-frequency
sounds.
Both have a sharp, curved beak and
talons, which are used for hunting.
Members of Strigiformes hunt at night
and rely on their sense of hearing.
Members of Ciconiiformes hunt during
the day and use their keen sense of
vision.
Answers include feathers; wings; a
lightweight, rigid skeleton; endothermic
metabolism; a beak; oviparity; and an
efficient respiratory system consisting
of air sacs connected to the lungs.

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Modern Biology

441

Answer Key