Birds and Mammals

Name:

Birds and Mammals

Multiple Choice

Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Evidence indicates that birds are descended from

a.	reptiles.
b.	mammals.
c.	insects.
d.	amphibians.

A bird’s nearly hollow bones help it to

a.	store extra oxygen.
b.	deliver oxygen to its cells.
c.	be lightweight in the air.
d.	defend itself against predators.

The toes of perching birds are adapted to help the birds

a.	wade in water.
b.	lock onto a branch.
c.	grab prey.
d.	crack seeds open.

Birds play an important role in the environment by

a.	creating air currents with their wings.
b.	providing feathers for down jackets.
c.	carrying seeds to new locations.
d.	helping to eliminate air pollution.

As a bird’s wing moves forward through the air, the air pressure on the wing

a.	is equal above and below the wing.
b.	pushes the wing downward.
c.	is greater above the wing than beneath it.
d.	is less above the wing than beneath it.

During soaring flight, a bird

a.	rises on a current of warm air.
b.	coasts downward through the air.
c.	moves its wings rapidly.
d.	folds its wings against its body.

Which characteristic is NOT common to all mammals?

a.	They are ectotherms.
b.	Their hearts have four chambers.
c.	Their skin is covered with hair or fur.
d.	Their young are fed with milk produced by organs in the mother’s body.

Fur is an adaptation that allows mammals to

a.	care for their young.
b.	find prey.
c.	survive in cold climates.
d.	let their body heat escape.

What characteristic is used to classify a mammal as a monotreme, marsupial, or placental mammal?

a.	the environment in which it lives
b.	how much hair or fur it has
c.	the structure of its brain
d.	the way in which its young develop

10.

A mammal’s gestation period is the length of time

a.	during which the mammal depends on its parents to bring it food.
b.	between fertilization and birth.
c.	between egg-laying and hatching.
d.	for which it drinks its mother’s milk.

11.

Birds are the only animals that have

a.	scales.
b.	feathers.
c.	nests.
d.	a heart with four chambers.

12.

What is the name of the upward force that enables a bird to fly?

a.	lift
b.	gravity
c.	air pressure
d.	flight path

13.

Which type of flight requires a bird to exert the most energy?

a.	gliding
b.	soaring
c.	diving
d.	flapping

14.

What is the function of down feathers?

a.	They give shape to a bird’s body.
b.	They help a bird sweat.
c.	They keep a bird warm.
d.	Their series of hooks and barbs keep the wing surface smooth.

15.

Some birds swallow small stones, which help them to

a.	fly faster.
b.	keep warm.
c.	get more oxygen.
d.	grind food.

16.

Unlike most mammals, bats are able to

a.	fly.
b.	swim.
c.	walk.
d.	crawl.

17.

Where do many birds store food that they are not ready to digest?

a.	in the crop
b.	in the gizzard
c.	in the stomach
d.	in the air sacs

18.

A strand of hair or fur is composed of

a.	dead cells.
b.	living cells.
c.	scales.
d.	a rubberlike material.

19.

The large muscle that enables mammals to breathe in and out is called the

a.	lung.
b.	respiratory muscle.
c.	air sac.
d.	diaphragm.

20.

Most mammals have teeth with how many different shapes?

a.	one
b.	two
c.	three
d.	four

21.

What is the function of canine teeth in most mammals?

a.	to stab and tear into food
b.	to bite off and cut parts of food
c.	to shred and grind food into small bits
d.	to scrape small pieces from the surface of food

22.

Which of these structures help birds get enough oxygen to fly?

a.	air sacs
b.	feathers
c.	lungs
d.	heart

23.

Which type of mammal lays eggs?

a.	marsupial
b.	monotreme
c.	placental mammal
d.	marine mammal

24.

Which of these animals is a monotreme?

a.	duck-billed platypus
b.	kangaroo
c.	whale
d.	mouse

25.

What adaptation helps an ostrich survive in its environment?

a.	It uses its broad bill to catch underwater animals.
b.	It uses its strong legs to run away from predators.
c.	It uses its large feathers to keep itself warm.
d.	It uses its long neck to burrow into sand.

26.

Where does a placental mammal develop before its body systems can function independently?

a.	inside its mother’s body
b.	in a pouch on its mother’s body
c.	in a nest near its mother
d.	inside an egg that is protected by the mother

27.

The function of the placenta is to

a.	pass materials between the mother and an embryo.
b.	protect an embryo from heat and cold.
c.	keep an embryo inside its mother’s pouch.
d.	prevent an embryo from drying out.

28.

Differences in pressure above and below a bird’s wings cause a force called

a.	lift.
b.	motion.
c.	flow.
d.	gliding.

29.

The upward force on a bird’s wing causes the bird to

a.	rise.
b.	fall.
c.	turn.
d.	speed up.

30.

Diving is a type of flight that

a.	always requires lift.
b.	does not require lift.
c.	uses rising currents of air.
d.	requires birds to flap their wings.

Modified True/False

Indicate whether the sentence or statement is true or false. If false, change the identified word or phrase to make the sentence or statement true.

31.

All birds have hearts with four chambers. _________________________

32.

Birds have contour feathers that are specialized to trap heat. _________________________

33.

The toes of perching birds can securely lock on to a branch. _________________________

34.

Birds are able to fly partly because air moving faster exerts less pressure than air moving slowly. _________________________

35.

During flight, the air above the wing exerts less pressure than the air beneath the wing. _________________________

36.

During flight, air moves faster over the lower surface of each wing. _________________________

37.

All mammals are endothermic vertebrates. _________________________

38.

Sharply pointed teeth that stab food and tear into it are called incisors. _________________________

39.

Marsupial mammals are born at a(n) later stage of development than placental mammals. _________________________

40.

The gestation period of marsupials is usually longer than that of placental mammals. _________________________

Completion

Complete each sentence or statement.

41.

Birds have ____________________ feathers that give shape to their bodies.

42.

A bird’s ____________________ squeezes and grinds food.

43.

Birds have ____________________ that connect to the lungs and increase the amount of oxygen birds can take in.

44.

As a bird flies, it experiences a(n) _____________________ force called lift.

45.

The structure of a woodpecker’s ____________________ enables the woodpecker to chip into tree wood.

46.

Birds help plants to ____________________ by carrying pollen and seeds from one place to another.

47.

The speed at which an ostrich can ____________________ helps it escape from predators.

48.

A bird’s two-loop circulatory system is efficient at delivering ____________________ to cells.

49.

The type of flying that requires the most energy is ____________________.

50.

The difference in pressure above and below a bird’s wing produces an upward force called ____________________.

51.

The type of flight in which birds rise on currents of warm air is called ____________________.

52.

During ____________________ flight, a bird coasts downward through the air.

53.

A large muscle called the ____________________, which is located at the bottom of the ribs, helps mammals to breathe.

54.

The number of chambers in a mammal’s heart is ____________________.

55.

Mammals have an insulating material called ____________________ beneath their skins.

56.

Mammals that lay eggs are known as ____________________.

57.

A group of mammals that includes only three species is the ____________________.

58.

Pregnant female monotremes and marsupials lack a(n) ____________________, which is an organ that passes materials between an embryo and its mother.

59.

Humans, monkeys, and apes belong to the group of placental mammals known as ____________________.

60.

Air exerts ____________________ on the objects it surrounds.

Short Answer

Use the diagram to answer each question.

61.

Structure A is called an air sac. Explain its function.

62.

Based on the structure of the bird’s bill, shown by B, would you expect this bird to find food by sweeping underwater? Explain why or why not.

63.

C is the bird’s heart. How does the structure of C differ from the structure of the heart in an adult amphibian? Explain the advantages of the bird’s heart over the amphibian’s heart.

64.

D is called a gizzard. What is its function? Explain how it performs this function.

65.

Look carefully at the bird’s foot, indicated by E. Do you think this bird paddles through water or perches on objects? Use the structure of the foot to explain your conclusion.

66.

What type of feather is indicated by F? What is the function of this type of feather?

Use the diagram to answer each question.

Characteristics of Birds and Mammals

*Animal A*	*Animal B*	*Animal C*
Cannot fly	Can fly	Can fly
Lays eggs	Lays eggs	Does not lay eggs
Has a diaphragm	Has a gizzard	Has hair
Has webbed feet	Has webbed feet	Has webbed fingers
Has a bill	Has a bill	Has teeth

67.

Is animal A a bird or a mammal? Explain your reasoning.

68.

Is animal C a bird or a mammal? Explain your reasoning.

69.

Decide whether mammal A is a monotreme, a marsupial, or a placental mammal. Explain your reasoning.

70.

In which of the animals in the table do the females produce milk?

71.

Is animal B a bird or a mammal? Explain your reasoning.

72.

Are any of the animals in the table ectotherms? Explain.

Essay

73.

How do parent birds usually care for their eggs? Why is this care necessary?

74.

Describe the path that blood follows through a bird’s circulatory system. Begin with the right side of the heart. In your answer, explain where the blood picks up oxygen and where it releases the oxygen to the bird’s body cells.

75.

A gardener sees birds land in her garden. She worries that the birds may damage the plants. Why is it important to identify the birds before deciding whether to scare them away?

76.

Describe the four types of flying and how much wing movement is involved in each.

77.

If an animal does not have four legs, can it be a mammal? Explain.

78.

What are two differences in the ways birds and most mammals reproduce and care for their young?

79.

How are marsupials different from placental mammals?

80.

How are monotremes similar to birds in the way that they reproduce? Identify three ways in which monotremes are different from reptiles.


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