Image Quail chick 02.jpg thumb right California quail chick Callipepla californica , a precocial chick Refimprove date January 2009 In biology , the term precocial refers to species in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. The opposite developmental strategy is called altricial , where the young are born or hatched helpless. Extremely precocial species may be called superprecocial . These three categories form a continuum, without distinct gaps between them. Precocial species are normally nidifugous , meaning that they leave the nest shortly after birth or hatching. The span between precocial and altricial species is particularly broad in bird s. Precocial birds are born with their eyes open. They are covered with downy feathers that soon grow to adult feathers when they hatch. ref name creatures cite book title Creatures of the Air and Sea author Edward S. Brinkley year 2000 publisher Reader s Digest Children s Books location Singapore isbn 0 7944 0353 0 pages 34, 35 url ref These kind of birds can also swim and run much sooner after their birth than other birds, such as songbirds. ref name creatures Very precocial birds can be ready to leave the nest in a short period of time following hatching e.g. 24 hours . Many precocial chicks are not independent in thermoregulation the ability to regulate their own body temperatures , and they depend on the attending parent s to brood them with body heat for a short period of time. Precocial birds find their own food, sometimes with help or instruction from the parents. Examples of precocial ... day after hatching. Precociality is found in many other animal groups. Familiar examples of precocial ... sense, since the closely related rabbit is highly altricial . Precocial species typically have a longer ... is characteristic of precocial birds. Etymology The word precocial is derived from the same root as precocious ... R. E. Patterns of Development The Altricial Precocial Spectrum. In Avian Growth and Development. Oxford ... more details
The term superprecocial refers to a level of physical maturity and capability in young animals that is most extreme. Examples are the Megapode birds, which have full flight feathers and which, in some species, can fly on the same day they hatch from their eggs. Another example is the young of Blue Wildebeest which are capable of standing in seven minutes and run with the adults in under two hours. Superprecocial animals are even more capable than precocial animals. The opposite pattern of growth and development is called altricial , and is typified by birds that hatch blind, uncoordinated, featherless, and tiny. ref name Starck&Ricklefs98 Starck, J.M. Ricklefs, R.E. Avian Growth and Development. Evolution within the altricial precocial spectrum. Oxford University Press, New York, 1998. ref See also precocial altricial References reflist Category Developmental biology Category Bird terminology ... more details
Nidifugous organisms are those that leave the nest shortly after hatching or birth. It is derived from Latin nidus for nest and fugere meaning to flee . ref http www.merriam webster.com dictionary nidifugous Merriam Webster Online Dictionary ref The terminology is most often used to describe birds and was introduced by Lorenz Oken in 1916. ref name starck cite book last Starck first J. title Avian Growth and Development publisher Oxford University Press location Oxford Oxfordshire year 1998 isbn 0 19 510608 3 ref The chicks of birds in many families such as the wader s, waterfowl and gamebird s are usually nidifugous. Nidifugous birds are precocial , or born with open eyes and capable of independent locomotion but not all precocial birds leave the nest and some may stay at the nest and are then said to be nidicolous . ref Paul R. Ehrlich, David S. Dobkin, and Darryl Wheye 1988 http www.stanford.edu group stanfordbirds text essays Precocial and Altricial.html Precocial and Altricial Young . ref References reflist animal stub Category Developmental biology eo Nidifuga es Nid fuga nl nestvlieder ... more details
Pr coce is a French language French term meaning precocial but which when used in viticulture is a term for early ripening wine early ripening . This term is used in the names or synonyms of a number of more or less early ripening grape varieties . Grape varieties with Pr coce as part of their name include Malingre Pr coce Muscat Pr coce de Saumur Pinot Noir Pr coce disambig ... more details
are precocial, being able to walk almost immediately after birth. Basis Different animals employ different precocial and altricial strategies there is no clear distinction between the two states .... Precocial birds are able to provide protein rich eggs and thus their young hatch in the fledgling ... times, but the meanings are slightly different, in that altricial and precocial refer to developmental ... The two strategies result in different brain sizes of the newborns compared to adults. Precocial animals .... As adults, altricial animals end up with comparatively larger brains than their precocial counterparts ... External links http www.stanford.edu group stanfordbirds text essays Precocial and Altricial.html The altricial precocial spectrum in birds Category Developmental biology Category Bird terminology fr ... more details
Taxobox name Caddisflies regnum Animalia phylum Arthropoda classis Insecta ordo Trichoptera subordo Spicipalpia subdivision ranks Superfamilies subdivision Glossosomatoidea br Rhyacophiloidea br Hydroptiloidea Spicipalpia is a suborder of Trichoptera , the caddisflies. The four families included in this suborder all have the character of pointed maxillary palps in the adults. The larvae of the different families have varying lifestyles, from free living to case making, but all four families construct cases in their final larval instar for pupation or at an earlier instar as a precocial pupation behavior. Although recognized under some phylogenies, molecular analysis has shown that this group is likely not monophyletic. External links http tolweb.org tree?group Trichoptera&contgroup Endopterygota Tree Of Life Trichoptera Page Category Trichoptera insect stub ru Spicipalpia ... more details
Multiple issues refimprove February 2010 expert Animal date March 2011 Nidicolous animals are those that stay at their nest or birthplace for a long time after birth, due to their dependence on the parents for feeding, protection and learning survival skills. It is the opposite of nidifugous where the animal is able to leave the nest very quickly. The great majority of nidicolous animals are altricial , in that an animal born helpless, blind, without feathers, etc simply is unable to fend for itself. Examples of nidicolous animals are most mammals , marsupials and many species of birds . However, the concepts of altricial and nidicolous are not identical. All altricial animals are nidicolous by necessity, however, an animal may be nidicolous, i.e. staying at the nest, even if they are precocial and fully capable of leaving if needed. ref name starck cite book last Starck first J. title Avian Growth and Development publisher Oxford University Press location Oxford Oxfordshire year 1998 isbn 0 19 510608 3 ref References reflist Category Developmental biology animal stub es Nid cola eo Nestolo anta fr Nidicole ... more details
Taxobox name Melanocorypha image calandralark57.jpg image caption Calandra Lark regnum Animal ia phylum Chordate Chordata classis bird Aves ordo Passeriformes familia Alaudidae genus Melanocorypha genus authority Heinrich Boie Boie , 1828 subdivision ranks Species subdivision M. calandra br M. bimaculata br M. maxima br M. mongolica br M. leucoptera br M. yeltoniensis Melanocorypha is a small genus of bird s in the lark family. Its members mainly occur in temperate Asia from Turkey through Central Asia to China , but the Calandra Lark also has an extensive Europe an distribution around the Mediterranean These larks are mostly partially bird migration migratory , moving relatively short distances from the coldest parts of their ranges. Several species are very rare vagrants to western Europe. These are birds of open cultivation, steppe or semi desert. They nest on the ground and the young are precocial. The food is seeds supplemented with insect s especially in the breeding season. They are gregarious outside the breeding season. Melanocorypha larks are large, robust birds, 16.5 20 cm long with strong thick bills. Some have the typically undistinguished lark plumage, mainly streaked greyish brown above and white below, but the, Black Lark Black and White winged Lark s have distinctive male plumages. Several species have large black patches on the breast sides. In flight they show broad wings and a shortish tail. The songs of most species are like that of the Skylark . Species in taxonomic order Calandra Lark , Melanocorypha calandra Bimaculated Lark , Melanocorypha bimaculata Tibetan Lark , Melanocorypha maxima Mongolian Lark , Melanocorypha mongolica White winged Lark , Melanocorypha leucoptera Black Lark , Melanocorypha yeltoniensis References Simms , Eric author , Arlott , Norman illustrator Larks, Pipits and Wagtails Collins New Naturalist, 1992 ISBN 0002198711 Category Melanocorypha Category Genera of birds br Melanocorypha ca Melanocorypha de Melanocorypha es M ... more details
Taxobox name Inland Dotterel image Charadrius australis Inland Dotterel .jpg image caption Charadrius australis status LC status system IUCN3.1 regnum Animal ia phylum Chordate Chordata classis Bird Aves ordo Charadriiformes familia Charadriidae genus Plover Charadrius species C. australis binomial Charadrius australis binomial authority John Gould Gould , 1841 The Inland Dotterel , Charadrius australis , also known as the Australian Dotterel and sometimes placed in the monotypic genus Peltohyas , is a medium sized Charadriine plover. Description Unmistakable. Upperparts generally buff mottled with dark brown. Face pale but marked by vertical black band crossing eye and fore crown. Underparts generally buff and white, marked with distinctice black Y on breast, forming collar on hind neck, and joined to black band on belly separating white lower belly from rich buff lower breast and flanks. Measurements length 19 23 cm wingspan 43 47 cm weight 80 g. Distribution Endemic to southern and central arid zone of mainland Australia . Habitat Open, arid country distribution bounded by 100 mm summer isohyet . Food Seeds and invertebrates. Breeding Nests on bare ground in shallow depression clutch of 3 brown eggs, marked with irregular black spots incubation period c.28 days young precocial and nidifugous . Conservation With a large range and no evidence of significant population decline, this species conservation status is of Least Concern . References BirdLife International. 2006 . Species factsheet Charadrius australis . Downloaded from http www.birdlife.org on 13 February 2007 Marchant, S. Higgins, P.J. & Davies, J.N. eds . 1994 . Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 2 Raptors to Lapwings . Oxford University Press Melbourne. ISBN 0 19 553069 1 National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife . 1987 . The Shorebirds of Australia . Angus & Robertson Sydney. ISBN 0 207 15348 5 wikispecies Peltohyas australis Category Birds of South Australia Categ ... more details
Taxobox name Bolivian Chinchilla Rat status CR status system iucn3.1 status ref ref name IUCN IUCN2008 assessors Dunnum, J., Vargas, J. & Bernal, N. year 2008 id 18 title Abrocoma boliviensis downloaded 5 January 2009 ref regnum Animalia phylum Chordata classis Mammalia ordo Rodent ia familia Abrocomidae genus Abrocoma species A. boliviensis binomial Abrocoma boliviensis binomial authority Glanz & Anderson, 1990 The Bolivian Chinchilla Rat Abrocoma boliviensis is a species of chinchilla rat in the Abrocomidae family ref cite book author Wilson, D.E. & Reeder, D.M., eds. title Mammal Species of the World A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, 3 sup rd sup ed year 2005 publisher Smithsonian Institution Press location Washington, D.C. pages 1538 1600 ref . It is found only in Manuel Mar a Caballero Province , Bolivia . Its natural habitat is the rocky areas of cloud forest s in Bolivia s interior. Habitat and ecology The Bolivian chinchilla rat lives in the cloud forest s of Bolivia, and may specialize in the rocky areas within the cloud forest. It is a vegetarian , and lives in burrows. Young are born precocial after a relatively long gestation period ref name IUCN . Threats Quotation Listed as Critically Endangered because its extent of occurrence is less than 100 km , all individuals are in a single location, and there is continuing decline in the extent and quality of its cloud forest habitat. IUCN 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Major threats to the Bolivian chinchilla rat include the clearing of its cloud forest habitat for cattle pasture and habitat fragmentation . It was historically trapped for its fur ref name IUCN References reflist Abrocomidae nav rodent stub Category Abrocoma Category Mammals of Bolivia es Abrocoma boliviensis fr Abrocoma boliviensis nl Boliviaanse chinchillarat pl Abrocoma boliviensis pt Abrocoma boliviensis sr uk ... more details
image Riparia riparia Brutfleck.jpg thumb 250px Brood patch of Sand Martin A brood patch is a patch of featherless skin that is visible on the underside of bird s during the nesting season . This patch of skin is well supplied with blood vessels at the surface making it possible for the birds to transfer heat to their eggs when incubating. In most species the feathers in the region are shed automatically but ducks and geese may pluck the feathers and use them to line the nest. The feathers of the region regrow soon after the eggs hatch in the case of precocial birds but may be delayed in those birds having altricial young. The positions of brood patches can vary with many having a single brood patch in the middle of the belly while some shorebirds have one patch on each side of the belly. Gulls and galliformes may have three brood patches. Pelicans, boobies and gannets do not develop brood patches, but instead cradle the eggs on their feet when incubating. Brood parasitism Brood parasitic cuckoo s do not develop brood patches. ref Payne, R. B. 2005. The Cuckoos. Oxford University Press. ref In species where both parents incubate, brood patches may develop in both sexes. Notes reflist External links http www.stanford.edu group stanfordbirds text essays Brood Patches.html Brood patches http www.esf.edu efb turner incubation 20energetics.html Incubation energetics bird stub Category Bird anatomy ca Placa d incubaci de Brutfleck es Placa de incubaci n fr Plaque incubatrice pl Plama l gowa fi Hautomalaikku sv Ruvfl ck zh ... more details
Taxobox name Protocetids fossil range Fossil range Early Eocene Middle Eocene image Maiacetus.jpg image width 250px image caption Maiacetus . regnum Animalia phylum Chordata classis Mammal ia ordo Cetacea subordo Archaeoceti familia Protocetidae subdivision ranks subfamilies and genera subdivision Georgiacetinae br Babiacetus Carolinacetus Eocetus Georgiacetus Natchitochia Pappocetus Makaracetinae br Makaracetus Protocetinae br Artiocetus Crenatocetus Gaviacetus Indocetus Maiacetus Protocetus Qaisracetus Rodhocetus Takracetus The protocetids form a diverse and heterogeneous group of cetacea ns known from Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America. There were many genera, and some of these are very well known e.g., Rodhocetus . Known protocetids had large fore and hindlimbs that could support the body on land, and it is likely that they lived amphibiously in the sea and on land. It is unclear at present whether protocetids had flukes the horizontal tail fin of modern cetaceans . However, what is clear is that they are adapted even further to an aquatic life style. In Rodhocetus , for example, the sacrum a bone that in land mammals is a fusion of five vertebrae that connects the pelvis with the rest of the vertebral column was divided into loose vertebrae. However, the pelvis was still connected to one of the sacral vertebrae. Furthermore, the nasal openings are now halfway up the snout a first step towards the telescoped condition in modern whales. Their supposed amphibious nature is supported by the discovery of a pregnant Maiacetus ref name plos one 1 cite web url http www.plosone.org article info 3Adoi 2F10.1371 2Fjournal.pone.0004366 title New Protocetid Whale from the Middle Eocene of Pakistan Birth on Land, Precocial Development, and Sexual Dimorphism accessdate 2009 02 04 author Gingerich PD, ul Haq M, von Koenigswald W, Sanders WJ, Smith BH, et al. publisher PLoS one ref , in which the fossilised fetus was positioned for a head first delivery, suggesting that Ma ... more details
Taxobox name African Brush tailed Porcupine status LC status system iucn3.1 status ref ref name iucn IUCN2008 assessors Hoffmann, M. & Cox, N. year 2008 id 2353 title Atherurus africanis downloaded 5 January 2009 ref trend unknown image Porcupine bushmeat in Cameroon.jpg image width 300px image caption African brush tailed porcupine sold for bushmeat meat in Cameroon regnum Animal ia phylum Chordata classis Mammal ia ordo Rodent ia familia Hystricidae genus Atherurus species A. africanus binomial Atherurus africanus binomial authority Gray, 1842 The African Brush Tailed Porcupine Atherurus africanus is a species of rat like Old World porcupine called brush tailed porcupine s . The brush tailed porcupines live in forests, usually at high elevations. They are nocturnal and during the day they sleep in cave s and burrows. The brush tailed porcupine is one of the biggest rodent s in Africa , growing almost three feet long and weigh as much as eight pounds. It has an elongated rat like face and body and short legs, tipped with clawed and webbed feet. Unlike most other porcupines, the brush tailed porcupine has lighter and smaller quills. On the tail, these quills are thinner and brush like. These can make noise when rattled. Brush tailed porcupines live in small family groups of about eight members. Different family groups can share resources. When attacked by a predator , the porcupine raises its quills so it looks twice its size, rattles its tail quills, and stomps its feet. As with all porcupines, the brush tailed porcupine would back into the attacker and inflict damage with its quills. The brush tailed porcupine is mostly herbivorous. When alone eating, the porcupines can be quite nervous. During the breeding season, males and females form pair bonds to get acquainted. The African brush tailed porcupine has a long pregnancy compared to other rodents 110 days at the longest. The young are born well developed or precocial . Porcupines reach maturity at two years of ag ... more details
Taxobox name Synthliboramphus image Ancient Murrelet.gif image width 250px image caption Ancient Murrelet regnum Animal ia phylum Chordata classis Bird Aves ordo Charadriiformes familia Alcidae genus Synthliboramphus genus authority Johann Friedrich von Brandt Brandt , 1837 subdivision ranks Species subdivision S. hypoleucus br S. craveri br S.antiquus br S. wumizusume synonyms Endomychura Synthliboramphus is a small genus of seabird s in the auk family from the North Pacific . It consists of four species Xantus s Murrelet , Synthliboramphus hypoleucus Craveri s Murrelet , Synthliboramphus craveri Ancient Murrelet , Synthliboramphus antiquus Japanese Murrelet , Synthliboramphus wumizusume The first two species were formally considered conspecific , and are sometimes separated in the genus Endomychura . Fossil remains of two prehistoric species are known an undescribed Synthliboramphus sp. from the Late Miocene or Early Pliocene c. 5 mya unit mya of Cedros Island , Mexico , and Synthliboramphus rineyi from the Late Pliocene around 3.5 2 mya San Diego Formation of the southwestern USA. These birds breed in colonies, their eggs being laid directly amongst tree roots or in rock crevices. They are nocturnal on the breeding grounds, presumably to reduce predation, and for the same reason the precocial young are never fed at the nest, being taken to sea a couple of days after hatching. The parents call to the young from out at sea, and the chicks swim towards the adults who keep moving further out throughout the night. Synthliboramphus species disperse out to sea after breeding, with northern species bird migration migrating further south. Synthliboramphus auks are small, with mainly black upper parts and white the short wings. These birds forage for food like other auks, by swimming underwater. They mainly eat fish , also some crustacean s and other small invertebrate s. References National Geographic Society 2002 Field Guide to the Birds of North America . National Geogr ... more details
Taxobox name African Rail image African Rail Rallus caerulescens .jpg image caption Cedara Farm, Pietermaritzburg , KwaZulu Natal, South Africa status LC status system IUCN3.1 regnum Animal ia phylum Chordate Chordata classis Bird Aves ordo Gruiformes familia Rallidae genus Rallus species R. caerulescens binomial Rallus caerulescens binomial authority Johann Friedrich Gmelin Gmelin , 1789 The African Rail Rallus caerulescens is a small wetland bird of the Rallidae rail family . Its breeding habitat is marsh es and reedbeds across eastern and southern Africa from Ethiopia to South Africa . Many birds are permanent residents, but some undertake bird migration seasonal movements in response to the availability of wetland. Adults are 28 30 cm long, and have mainly brown upperparts and blue grey underparts, with black and white barring on the flanks and undertail. This is the only Rallus species with a plain back. The body is flattened laterally to allow easier passage through the reeds. They have long toes, a short tail and a long slim dull red bill. The legs are red. The African Rail nests in a dry location in marsh vegetation, both sexes building the cup nest. The typical clutch is 2 6 heavily spotted creamy white eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for about 20 days to hatching Immature birds are similar to the adults, but the blue grey is replaced by buff. The precocial downy chicks are black, as with all rails. Image Rallus caerulescens00.jpg thumb left center Rallus caerulescens center These birds probe with their bill in mud or shallow water, also picking up food by sight. They mainly eat insect s, crabs and other small aquatic animals. African Rails are secretive in the breeding season, but are easier to see than many other rail species, especially in the morning. They are noisy bird s, with a trilled whistled treee tee tee tee tee call . References IUCN2006 assessors BirdLife International year 2004 id 48955 title Rallus aquaticus downloaded 11 May 2006 Dat ... more details
Taxobox image Red necked Crake kuranda.jpg status LC status system IUCN3.1 regnum Animal ia phylum Chordate Chordata classis bird Aves ordo Gruiformes familia Rallidae genus Rallina species R. tricolor binomial Rallina tricolor binomial authority John Edward Gray Gray , 1858 synonyms Tomirdus tricolor Verify source date January 2010 the whole of tricolor, or just some sspp.? Tomirdus tricolor does not yet redirect here, pending confirmation small Gray, 1858 small The Red necked Crake Rallina tricolor is a waterbird in the rail and crake family Rallidae . Description The Red necked crake is a large crake length 25 cm, wingspan 40 cm, weight 200 g . Its head, neck and breast are red brown, with a paler version of that color on the throat. The upperparts are grey brown, while the underparts are grey brown with pale barring. The underwing is barred black and white, the bill green, and the legs grey brown. Distribution and habitat Red necked crakes live in the Moluccas , Lesser Sundas , New Guinea lowlands and adjacent islands, and north eastern Australia . They are found in tropical rainforest s and dense vegetation close to permanent wetland s. Behaviour Diet The bird s diet consists of amphibian s, aquatic invertebrate s, crustacean s and mollusc s. Breeding The bird rests on or close to ground in dense vegetation. It lays clutches of 3 5 dull white eggs, the Avian incubation incubation periods of which are around 20 days. The chicks emerge covered in black down , precocial and nidifugous . Voice The crake makes repetitive clicking calls and soft grunts. Conservation With a large range and no evidence of significant decline, this species is assessed as being of Least Concern . The species is little studied and seldom seen due to its secretive nature, but appears to be locally common in New Guinea. In Australia it has suffered declines due to habitat loss. References Commons category Rallina tricolor wikispecies Rallina tricolor need to update taxonomy system ... more details
Taxobox name Spot bellied Bobwhite image image width image caption status LC status system IUCN3.1 regnum Animal ia phylum Chordate Chordata subphylum Vertebrate Vertebrata classis Bird Aves ordo Galliformes familia New World quail Odontophoridae genus Colinus species C. leucopogon binomial Colinus leucopogon binomial authority Ren Primev re Lesson Lesson , 1842 The Spot bellied Bobwhite , Colinus leucopogon , is a ground dwelling bird in the New World quail family. It is sometimes considered to be conspecific with the Crested Bobwhite , Colinus cristatus . As the latter species expands north into Costa Rica , it is likely that the two species will overlap in range in the future, but the Costa Rican subspecies of Spot bellied is the least similar to Crested. The Spot bellied Bobwhite occurs in El Salvador , Guatemala , Honduras , Nicaragua and Costa Rica in open savanna with bushes and trees and other open woodland. Description This species is 22 24 cm long and shows geographically variable male plumage amongst its six subspecies. All forms have a brown back with black spotting on the nape. The head has a white supercilium , a dark line through the eye, a white or brown throat and a short crest. The lower belly is spotted but the rest of the underparts are pale, entirely spotted, or spotted with a rufous chest depending on the subspecies. The male weighs 140 g on average. The female is duller than the male with a buff supercilium and mottled throat her average weight is 115 g. The song, most often given by males in spring and summer, is a rising, scratchy, bob Wight or bob bob White . Behaviour The Spot bellied Bobwhite forms coveys , groups of three to 15 birds during the non breeding season. Both males and females incubate nests, with most nests predominantly incubated by females. About 10 white eggs are laid. The chicks are precocial and will leave the nest approximately 24 hours after hatching. This shy species feeds on seeds and insects, the latter especially ... more details
two other uses the stage before birth humans in particular Fetus other uses Fetus disambiguation Image Elefetusus.jpg thumb right 300px Fourteen phases of elephant development before birth A fetus sometimes spelled foetus or f tus is a stage in the development of viviparous organisms. This stage lies between the embryo nic stage and childbirth birth . The fetuses of most mammals are situated similarly to the homo sapiens fetus within their mothers. ref ZFIN, http zfin.org zf info zfbook stages phar.html Pharyngula Period 24 48 h . Modified from Kimmel et al., 1995. Developmental Dynamics 203 253 310. Downloaded 5 March 2007. ref However, the anatomy of the area surrounding a fetus is different in Litter animal litter bearing animals compared to humans each fetus of a litter bearing animal is surrounded by placental Biological tissue tissue and is lodged along one of two long uteri instead of the single uterus found in a human female. Development at birth varies considerably among animals, and even among mammals. Altricial species are relatively helpless at birth and require considerable parental care and protection. In contrast, precocial animals are born with open eyes, have hair or down, have large brains, and are immediately mobile and somewhat able to flee from, or defend themselves against, predation predators . Primate s are precocial at birth, with the exception of humans. ref Lewin, Roger. http books.google.com books?id SopsLRo1QyUC&pg PA78&dq altricial precocial humans&num 100&ei IGGSf mMJGeyASMod1A Human Evolution , page 78 Blackwell 2004 . ref The duration of gestation in placental mammals i.e. mammals other than monotreme s and marsupial s varies from 18 days in jumping mice to 23 months in elephant s. ref name Sumich Sumich, James and Dudley, Gordon. http books.google.com books?id TW2SAkgJOdMC&pg PA320&dq 22elephant 22 and fetus&as brr 3&ei xXGGSZrrDpGeyASMod1A PPA320,M1 Laboratory and Field Investigations in Marine Life , page 320 Jones & Bartlett 2008 ... more details
Taxobox name Junglefowl image image width 240px image caption Green Junglefowl , Gallus varius br Cock on the left, hen on the right regnum Animal ia phylum Chordate Chordata classis Bird Aves ordo Galliformes familia Phasianidae subfamilia Phasianinae genus Gallus genus authority Mathurin Jacques Brisson Brisson , 1766 subdivision ranks Species subdivision Gallus gallus Gallus lafayetii Gallus sonneratii Gallus varius Junglefowl are the four living species of bird from the genus Gallus in the Gallinaceous bird order, which occur in India , Sri Lanka , Southeast Asia and Indonesia . These are large birds, with colourful male Feather plumage , but are nevertheless difficult to see in the dense vegetation they inhabit. As with many birds in the pheasant family, the male takes no part in the incubation of the Egg biology egg or rearing of the precocial young. These duties are performed by the drab and well camouflage d female. The junglefowl are seed eaters, but insect s are also taken, particularly by the young birds. One of the species in this genus, the Red Junglefowl, is of historical importance as the likely ancestor of the domesticated chicken , although it has been suggested the Grey Junglefowl was also involved. ref Eriksson J, Larson G, Gunnarsson U, Bed hom B, Tixier Boichard M, et al. 2008 Identification of the Yellow Skin Gene Reveals a Hybrid Origin of the Domestic Chicken. PLoS Genet January 23, 2008 http genetics.plosjournals.org perlserv ?request get document&doi 10.1371 2Fjournal.pgen.1000010.eor&ct 1 . ref The Sri Lanka Junglefowl is the National Bird of Sri Lanka . Species Red Junglefowl , Gallus gallus Sri Lanka Junglefowl , Gallus lafayetii Grey Junglefowl , Gallus sonneratii Green Junglefowl , Gallus varius Prehistorically, the genus Gallus was found all over Eurasia in fact it appears to have evolved in southeastern Europe. Several fossil species have been described, but their distinctness is not firmly established in all cases Gallus aesculapii ... more details
Taxobox name Least Auklet status LC status system IUCN3.1 status ref ref IUCN2008 assessors BirdLife International year 2008 title Aethia pusilla id 144296 downloaded 24 February 2009 ref image Leastauklet6.jpg image width 200px regnum Animal ia phylum Chordate Chordata classis Bird Aves ordo Charadriiformes familia Alcidae genus Aethia species A. pusilla binomial Aethia pusilla binomial authority Peter Simon Pallas Pallas , 1811 The Least Auklet , Aethia pusilla , is a seabird and the smallest species of auk . It the most abundant seabird in North America , and one of the most abundant in the world, with a population of around nine million birds. They breed on the islands of Alaska and Siberia , and spend the winter close to the edge of the ice sheet . Their largest colonies are on the Aleutian Islands , St. Lawrence Island and Little Diomede Island . Least Auklets feed predominantly on Calanoida calanoid copepod s, particularly those of the genus Neocalanus . They also eat euphausiid s, pteropod s and other zooplankton species. They hunt for these in stratified waters caused where upwelling and thermocline s cause these prey items to be tightly clumped together. Like all auks they are pursuit divers, using their wings to provide thrust and fly under the water. They are voracious predators, consuming 86 of their body weight each day. Least Auklets are highly seabird colony colonial , nesting in rocky crevices in colonies of up to a million birds. These colonies are often mixed, with other species of auklet nesting with, and competing with the Least Auklets. While this coexistence with other species may bring the benefits of protection from predators, Least Auklets are vulnerable to being displaced from their nesting sites by the larger Crested Auklet s. A single egg is laid in the crevice and incubated for a month, after which a semi precocial black downy chick is hatched. Both parents share incubation duties, as well as brooding and feeding duties. Unlike many auk ... more details
Taxobox name South American Snipe image Gallinago paraguaiae.jpg status LC status system IUCN3.1 status ref ref IUCN2006 assessors BirdLife International year 2004 id 49039 title Gallinago paraguaiae downloaded 11 May 2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern ref regnum Animal ia phylum Chordate Chordata classis Aves ordo wader Charadriiformes familia Scolopacidae genus Gallinago species G. paraguaiae binomial Gallinago paraguaiae binomial authority Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot Vieillot , 1816 The South American Snipe or Magellan Snipe , Gallinago paraguaiae , is a small, stocky wader . Its taxonomic position is complicated, sometimes treated as a race of Common Snipe , or split into two species, with the Andes Andean population as Puna Snipe . This small snipe breeds in most of South America away from the Pacific coast and eastern Brazil , and also the Falkland Islands , Trinidad and possibly Tobago The nominate lowland race G. p. paraguaiae is resident, but southern G. p. magellanicae bird migration migrates north in winter, abandoning Tierra del Fuego altogether, and the Andean G. p. andina moves to lower ground. The breeding habitat is wet grassy savannah for the northern form, peat bogs for magellanicae , and boggy rivers for andina . The nest is a well hidden depression on the ground. Both parents incubate the two buff eggs for about 19 days to hatching, the precoces precocial young leaving the nest soon after hatching. The adult South American Snipe is 27 29 cm in length and weighs 110 g. It has short greenish grey legs and a very long straight dark bill. The body is mottled brown on top and pale underneath. There is a dark stripe through the eye, with light stripes above and below it. The wings are pointed. In northern South America, it is difficult to distinguish in the field from wintering Common Snipe, although they can be separated in the hand. G. p. magellanicae , which breeds southwards from central Argentin ... more details
Unreferenced date January 2007 Infobox Scientist name PAGENAME box width image Replace this image female.svg image size 150px caption PAGENAME birth date birth date mf y 1910 12 7 birth place nowiki Peoria, Illinois nowiki death date death date and age mf y 2002 12 30 1910 12 7 death place Columbia, South Carolina residence citizenship nationality ethnicity field psychology work institutions Cornell alma mater Smith College, Yale University doctoral advisor Clark Hull doctoral students known for Visual Cliff, Differentiation and Enrichment of Embedded Structures author abbrev bot author abbrev zoo influences influenced awards National Medal of Science 1992 religion footnotes signature Eleanor J. Gibson December 7, 1910 December 30, 2002 was an United States American psychologist . Among her contributions to psychology, the most important are the study of perception in infants and toddlers. She is popularly known for the visual cliff experiment in which precocial animals, and crawling human infants, showed their ability to perceive depth by avoiding the deep side of a virtual cliff. Along with her husband James J. Gibson , she forwarded the concept that perceptual learning takes place by differentiation. The Visual Cliff was a wooden table from the edge of which strong plate glass extended, Life magazine reported in 1959. Children were put on the table top and coaxed to crawl out over the glass, the magazine said. But when they got to the edge of the cliff and looked down almost all of them quickly withdrew. Even their mothers most persuasive urgings could not get them out. Similar studies were done with animals, including rats and kittens. The findings indicated that perception is an essentially adaptive process, or as Dr. Gibson put it, We perceive to learn, as well as learn to perceive. In 1982, she was invited to Beijing to teach Chinese psychologists about recent theories and techniques of research. In 1992, Eleanor Gibson was awarded the National Medal of Scien ... more details
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