CHAPTER 26: Reptiles and
Birds
26.1 CHARACTERISTICS
OF REPTILES
- Introduction to the Diapsids
- The diapsids include birds and reptiles, but not turtles. This page from the University of California Museum of Paleontology describes the diapsid lineage.
- Introduction to Anapsida
- Turtles are the only survivors from this ancient reptile group, a group whose systematics are still being worked out. Be sure to check out the fossil record, morphology, and life cycle links from this University of California Museum of Paleontology page.
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26.2 ORIGIN AND DIVERSITY OF REPTILES
- Tree of Life: Amniota
- How are mammals and reptiles related on a phylogenetic tree? What characteristic defines the amniotes? Explore the phylogeny of reptiles and early mammals on this page from the Tree of Life, then link to the Diapsida to learn more about snakes, lizards, crocodiles, and birds.
- The Dinosauria
- This page is packed with facts about dinosaurs and links
to special exhibits from the University of California Museum
of Paleontology's Web site. These exhibits include:
- T. Rex: Learn about the star of the dinosaur world.
- Dilophosaurus: Meet the discoverer of this crested dinosaur and find out if Dilophosaurus' portrayal in Jurrasic Park as a frilled spitter was based on fact or fiction.
- Dinobuzz: This page is devoted to interesting dinosaur discoveries.
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26.3 REPTILES
IN THE BIOSPHERE
- Herpetological Collection Catalogs
- The University of California Museum of Paleontology has put together a list of reptile and amphibian online collections from around the world, including ones from Texas, Hawaii, Georgia, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Massachussetts, and Washington. Many of the links have photographs and descriptions of regional species.
- The Electronic Zoo's Reptile Page
- The Electronic Zoo keeps lists of animal-related Internet resources, including this long list of reptile resources. If you are interested in finding links to snakes, turtles, alligators, lizards, and dinosaurs, start here.
- Introduction to the Aves
- Find out about the fossil record and systematics of birds at this University of California Museum of Paleontology page. This page is especially useful for exploring the prevailing view of bird evolution.
- Avian Flight
- Learn about the adaptations that allow birds to fly in this section of the University of California Museum of Paleontology's exhibit on Vertebrate Flight. This page also discusses the existence of flightless birds and the niches that they have filled.
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26.5 ORIGIN AND DIVERSITY OF BIRDS
- Tree of Life: Neornithes
- This page shows the phylogenetic relationships between all modern birds, describes the characteristics common to birds, and links back to Aves, which includes both modern and extinct birds.
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- Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center
- How do birds bulk up for their long migratory flights? How much weight would we have to gain to build up an equivalent fat reserve? Why are neotropical migratory birds in decline? The Smithsonian has compiled several well-written fact sheets on these migratory matters.
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