第六章、鸟纲.pptVIP

第六章、鸟纲 CLASS AVES Of the higher vertebrates, the birds are the most studied, the most observable, the most melodious and, many think, the most beautiful. With 9000 species distributed over nearly the entire earth, birds far outnumber all other vertebrates except the fishes. Birds are found in forests and deserts, in mountains and prairies, and on all the oceans. Four species have even visited the North Pole, and one, a skua, was seen at the South Pole. some birds live in total blackness in caves, finding their way about by echo location, and others dive to depths greater than 45 meters to prey on aquatic life. The single unique feature that distinguish birds from all other animals is that they have feathers. If an animal has feathers, it is a bird; if it lacks feathers, it is not a bird. No other vertebrate group bears such an easily recognized all foolproof identification tag. Birds, however, do share with mammals the highest organ system development in the animal kingdom. But a bird’s entire anatomy is designed around flight and its perfection（完美的）. An airborne life for a large vertebrate is a highly demanding（苛刻的） evolutionary challenge. A bird, must, of course, have wings for support and propulsion. Bones must be light and hollow yet serve as a rigid airframe. The respiratory system must be incredibly efficient to meet the intense metabolic demands of flight and serve also as a thermoregulatory（体温调节） device to maintain a constant body temperature. A bird must have a rapid and efficient digestion to process an energy-rich diet（食物）, it must have a high metabolic（代谢率） rate, and it must have a high--pressure circulatory system. Above all, birds must have a finely tuned nervous system and keen sense organs, especially superb vision（视力）, to handle the complex problems of head first, high-velocity flight over the landscape. Just as an airplane must be designed and built to rigid aerodynamic specifications if it is to fly, so too must birds meet stringent struct