Evolution of Bird Flight Quiz

What is the main scientific puzzle discussed in the introduction?

• How birds evolved from fish

• How birds evolved from mammals

• How birds evolved from theropods

• How birds evolved from amphibians

What question did Sir George Jackson Mivart pose to Darwin?

• How did reptiles evolve into mammals?

• What is the function of half a wing in evolution?

• How did birds evolve from mammals?

• What is the role of feathers in evolution?

What was the initial observation made when young birds were given a bale of hay?

• They glided down from the top

• They refused to climb

• They flew directly to the top

• They ran straight up vertically

What did the experiments reveal about how young birds use their wings?

• They do not use wings at all

• They use wings to pull themselves forward

• They use wings only for gliding

• They use wings to fly directly upwards

How did the observed behavior in young birds change the understanding of dinosaur flight evolution?

• It suggested dinosaurs could only glide

• It suggested dinosaurs used wings for swimming

• It suggested dinosaurs used wings to assist in climbing

• It suggested dinosaurs did not have wings

What are the two main possibilities previously debated for how flight evolved?

• Climbing trees and gliding down, running and flapping wings

• Swimming and diving, jumping and gliding

• Crawling and climbing, running and jumping

• Flying and gliding, swimming and diving

What new hypothesis does the research suggest about theropod flight evolution?

• Theropods used wings only for swimming

• Theropods did not use wings at all

• Theropods used wings to assist in climbing and escaping predators

• Theropods used wings only for gliding

What advantage did small wings provide to growing theropods?

• They were used for attracting mates

• They allowed them to swim faster

• They helped them climb to escape predators

• They enabled them to fly long distances

What behavior do young birds exhibit that might reflect theropod behavior?

• Flap running up and down

• Swimming across water

• Gliding from high places

• Flying directly upwards

What evolutionary pressure might have influenced the development of flight in theropods?

• The need to swim across large bodies of water

• The need to hunt larger prey

• The need to escape predators and reach elevated refuges

• The need to migrate long distances