The birds that have carpometacarpi larger than the humeri are the Apodiformes (swifts) and...

  Photo: Jordi Muntaner. Question marks: Aina Bonner   Challenge 7 Today this Challenge is on osteology Knowledge of bird anatomy was in vogue among ornithologists more than a century ago. It is not so much now. The skeletal system of birds is extremely informative about how they evolved and how they work. Personally, I love bones. In this blog I will sporadically present osteological challenges, which may help us understand a little more the uniqueness and diversity of birds....

Birds that leave their buried eggs like crocodiles do...

There are very few cases of carrying bird chicks flying...

... this new Challenge concerns to the aerial transport of chicks...

There are at least four answers to this Challenge...

...outside the sea (and lakes and rivers; i.e., on a solid substrat) what species occasionally use simultaneously both locomotive modules to get around?

The study of lethargy in birds began in the 1950s. It is now known to be more widespread than originally thought...

This new Challenge concerns the possibility of lethargy in birds...

Photo: Sebastià Torrens. Question marks: Aina Bonner   Challenge 2   Can we say that the members of the Class Aves are characterized by the absence of real teeth? 1. Yes 2. No Why?

Photo: Sebastià Torrens. Question marks: Aina Bonner   Solution to Challenge 1   OPTION A. There are birds that have lost their flying ability (“flightless birds”), and even there are some birds that have completely lost their wings (e.g, moa, Hesperornis). Despite not having them, they are still birds. OPTION C. There are also birds that do not have complex feathers (e.g., the kiwi, which have feathers so simple that they look like hairs; or the moa). Despite not having...

What is more important to birds?: Choose your answer and explain why you chose it.