Penguin Lab Report

To compare the impact of evolution on different organisms a study was conducted by: carefully examining the species of birds with each other. This was accomplished through using a sample population of 200 birds. Moreover, there were other factors that were taken into account (in order to ensure objectivity and accuracy). The below table is illustrating those factors that were considered to be the most important during this study. ("Evolution Lab," 2012)

On the 3rd experiment for Darwin Island, the independent variable was increased to 78.cm, while the independent variable for Wallace Island increased to 68. cm. The precipitation increase at Darwin and Wallace Island, indicated a decrease in beak size. The finch beak size in 2096, was measured at 10.72 mm. The decrease of the finch beaks at Wallace island measured at 11.61 mm. The population at Darwin Island increased to 682, while the finch population at Wallace Island increased to 660.

The purpose of this experiment is to test the hypothesis that small bird’s physical characteristics can greatly impact their species population growth over time. Using the Finch as a test subject for multiple trial runs on a simulated computer system we can alter the characteristics of the finch and run diagnostics for two completely different locations and set of experiments. This simultaneous testing and comparison will either prove or disprove the hypothesis that small bird’s physical characteristics can greatly impact their population growth. The base line for this comparison will be two islands

Assignments 1: I developed a hypothesis to predict that the island with the finches with the larger beak will be able to adapt more rapidly to their surrounding and handle the hard seeds of their island verses the island with the finches with the smaller beaks. I left the primary beak size on Darwin

The last experiment parameter changes were also to the island size and precipitation levels. Darwin and Wallace Island size were increased from 0.5 km to 1.0 km. However, the precipitation levels were changed to 40.0 cm from 20.0 cm on Darwin Island and reduced on Wallace Island from 20.0 cm to 10.0 cm. This experiment provided the most drastic results in beak size over a three hundred year span. The populations of the birds were almost the same number after two hundred years. But, the beak sizes were markedly dissimilar. According to the data, in the year 2210, the population of both islands had a difference of only 19 birds. However, the beak size for the Darwin Island finches was 19.93 mm and the Wallace Island finches had beak sizes of 24.29 mm.

The Pharomachrus mocinno has evolved many behavioural and physical traits as a result of adaptation to the current environment and lifestyle it leads, however this proposal will focus on the unusual plume tail length of the male P. mocinno. This particular species habitat requires nests as high as 22 meters in rotting trees (Seigfried et al. 2010). Therefore, the function of the feathers would typically be assumed to enhance flight, as that would make sense as a useful function in this scenario due to the high elevation. Surprisingly, however, the long length of the plume tail actually decreases the speed of the male bird due to the drag force of air (Norberg 1995) and requires it to drop backward off the branches before being able to fly forward normally (LaBastille et al. 1972). With such issues with the long plume tails, would sexual selection really be in this traits’ favour? In a study done on the widowbird such was the case; males with longer plumes were mated the most (Andersson 1982). However, the widowbird is completely black (including its tail), while in the case of Pharomachrus mocinno it is a very colourful bird. Previous studies also have shown, that the bright reflective colours on the male’s bodies help in attracting females (LaBastille et al. 1972).

Did you know the ringneck pheasant doesn't like to fly even though it is a bird? Weird,right? They have such short wings that set them apart from other birds. I can tell you more about the ringneck pheasant, like their characteristics and habitat. Their origin and diet are also things I am familiar with.

Some reasons why beaks were thought to be so useful for testing Darwin’s theory of natural selection was because it seemed that the more favorable variations in their beaks will be passed down. Another reason was because there were more variations in the beaks depending what the finches ate so he could study a variety of beaks.

Could you image being spilt on with oil and not knowing what to do? In “The Seabird” and “The Amazing Penguin Rescue” they are about penguins that got dangered with an oil spill. Volunteers need to help them get back to their original habitat, but fast! In “The Amazing Penguin Rescue” the author, Lauren Tarshis, is an author of children's books, with several series of fiction and historical works found in thousands of libraries and translated into several languages. “The Seabird Chronicle and “The Amazing Penguin Rescue” has many similarities and differences such as conflict and setting.

Again, I was incorrect in my initial hypothesis assuming that the birds in the lower stocking density pens would have more ease of access to feed which in turn would allow them to have a higher BW gain and lower FCR. This variable most likely had an effect on the birds during the first few weeks of the grow out but, the birds were able to overcome it easily and both pens finished, visually, nearly identical. Finally, as I predicted in my first report, the sex of our birds played the greatest role in being able to tell the difference in our birds. It was very easy to tell the difference between males and females when looking at size and features. Our male broiler chickens had bright very well-developed combs and wattles which easily set them apart from the females. Both sexes had very thick white feathers and yellow legs, with almost no lesions or sores on either their body or legs. Overall, the quality of our flock was very high and we did a tremendous job in managing the feed, water line height, litter quality, and humidity levels in the houses throughout the grow out. In conclusion, although I personally do not agree with the way the experiment was conducted, it was none the less a success and changed my way of thinking if I ever partake in a test like this in the

He says to understand what these birds are doing and whether this sets them apart from other species, the same experiments need to be carried out, multiple times, on many different species, to properly compare results.

Both the puffin and axolotl are colourful, have a distinctive featurette on their head (Axolotl has its colourful and feather-like gills, the Puffin has its brightly coloured horn-like beak), have special modifications to help the animal travel faster and more efficiently, they both eat small fish, and are commonly hunted and eaten by predators and humans. The population of both animals is distinctively decreasing, they both can live on land and swim in water, both reach the age of 15 and range up to 25 years old (the puffin can be older than an axolotls average age, but the age is close to one another), and are extremely adorable. There are not as many similarities as differences, but there are at least some. The axolotl and puffin may not be that similar, but using these animals as examples can show us that how the classification method works and why we use it. We have found some similarities but more differences, and this shows why the axolotl and puffin are not related through classification.

Researchers believe that dinosaurs shrunk in size while adapting to new changes in the environment. Researchers believe birds descended from two-legged dinosaurs, Theropods. The skull itself is believed to have gone from a Velociraptor, to Archaeopteryx, to modern day chickens and pigeons. Some differences from the Archaeopteryx and chicken are the size of the brain, eye cavities, and beak. The Archaeoptreryx had teeth, where as the chicken does not.

Penguins are very interesting birds, and the have a long history behind them that is more than 60 million years old. They are believed to be descendants of early birds that roamed the Earth. It is believed that the penguins are derived from a type of bird that is able to fly. Yet they needed to be able to adapt to the waters if they were going to be able to survive. As a result their wings changed over time to what we call flippers. They were no longer able to fly but they didn’t need to. Instead they were able to feed from the water and they were also able to walk upright on

There are almost as many ways of flying as there are kinds of birds. Albatrosses glide and soar with long narrow wings stretched out, sometimes staying aloft for hours without a single wing beat. Hummingbirds, on the other hand, can 't rest their wings for even a second in flight. Woodpeckers have a swooping flight, crows fly in a straight line, and swallows dart and weave every which way.