Some Birds Can 39;t Fly Movie

[Solana Axton]

Scientistsoften had stressed the importance in evolution of changes in the genes that code for (or make) proteins. Examples are relatively easy to find. For instance, an earlier study suggested that mutations in a single gene shrank the wings of flightless birds known as Galpagos cormorants.

Scott Edwards and his colleagues got around that problem by decoding the genetic instruction books, or genomes, of 11 bird species. Edwards is an evolutionary biologist at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. Eight of the species were flightless birds. The researchers then compared these genomes to already completed genomes from other birds. Those included flightless birds such as ostriches, white-throated tinamous, North Island brown kiwis and emperor and Adlie penguins. They also included 25 species of flying birds.

Those regulatory DNA bits tended to be close to genes that help make limbs, such as wings and legs. That hints that they might tweak gene activity to make smaller wings. The team tested how well one such bossy DNA bit could turn on a gene in chicken wings when chicks were still inside their eggs. That piece of bossy DNA is called an enhancer.

Outside of the bird family tree, flight has evolved only a few times, Edward says. It evolved in pterosaurs, in bats, and maybe a couple of times in insects. But birds have lost flight multiple times. There are no known examples of regaining flight once it has been lost, he says.

DNA (short for deoxyribonucleic acid) A long, double-stranded and spiral-shaped molecule inside most living cells that carries genetic instructions. It is built on a backbone of phosphorus, oxygen, and carbon atoms. In all living things, from plants and animals to microbes, these instructions tell cells which molecules to make.

emu A large, flightless bird. Only the ostrich is a larger bird. The emu is native to Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and some South Pacific islands. The animal belongs to a very primitive family within modern birds. It eats fruits, seeds and insects and tends to travel over a broad region rather than settling down in one small area.

evolutionary biologist Someone who studies the adaptive processes that have led to the diversity of life on Earth. These scientists can study many different subjects, including the microbiology and genetics of living organisms, how species change to adapt, and the fossil record (to assess how various ancient species are related to each other and to modern-day relatives).

genetic Having to do with chromosomes, DNA and the genes contained within DNA. The field of science dealing with these biological instructions is known as genetics. People who work in this field are geneticists.

muscle A type of tissue used to produce movement by contracting its cells, known as muscle fibers. Muscle is rich in protein, which is why predatory species seek prey containing lots of this tissue.

protein A compound made from one or more long chains of amino acids. Proteins are an essential part of all living organisms. They form the basis of living cells, muscle and tissues; they also do the work inside of cells. Among the better-known, stand-alone proteins are the hemoglobin (in blood) and the antibodies (also in blood) that attempt to fight infections. Medicines frequently work by latching onto proteins.

pterosaur Any of various extinct flying reptiles of the order Pterosauria. These animals lived 245 million years ago to 65 million years ago. Although not true dinosaurs, they lived during the reign of dinosaurs. Among members of this order were the pterodactyls of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, which were characterized by wings consisting of a flap of skin supported by the very long fourth digit on each forelimb.

tissue Made of cells, it is any of the distinct types of materials that make up animals, plants or fungi. Cells within a tissue work as a unit to perform a particular function in living organisms. Different organs of the human body, for instance, often are made from many different types of tissues.

Founded in 2003, Science News Explores is a free, award-winning online publication dedicated to providing age-appropriate science news to learners, parents and educators. The publication, as well as Science News magazine, are published by the Society for Science, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education.

Belgrade's hot weather, overcrowding and noisiness makes Vesna sick. Her parents are divorced, but still remain friendly to one another. They take her to see a doctor and she gets diagnosed with leukemia. They try to help her but nothing works. Vesna's grandpa lives in the forest, far away from the city. Her mother, who hasn't spoken to him for over 20 years, decides to ask him for help. He arrives to the hospital by his horse and suggests that Vesna comes to live with him for some time, saying that nature would make her feel better. Her family eventually agrees, and so Vesna goes to live with her grandpa for two months. He lives in a wooden house, with no television and electricity. He has a lot of animals, which Vesna mets the next morning. She tries to run away, but her grandpa catches her, has a talk with her and succeeds in making her more comfortable.

One day, Vesna's grandfather gets caught in a bear trap. He can't do anything for days, and has to lay in bed, so Vesna has to learn to take care of them both. Her grandpa gets better again and they continue doing something new every day. In the end her family comes to pick her up. Her mother is delighted that her daughter feels better and beat leukemia. Vesna goes home and had to learn everything she missed from school. She passes her geography oral exam and was only left with Serbian and music exam. While she plays a musical instrument, she faints and the teacher runs out calling for help. They take her to the hospital and she becomes sad again. Her grandpa comes and takes her. She immediately becomes happy and jumps in his arms. The nurse tries to stop him but he won't let Vesna go. Him and his friend drive her to grandpa's house and she becomes happy and healthy again. Her grandpa ends up getting shot by someone. They bury him in the forest, while his dog sits there whining. Vesna kisses his cross and whispers something, then leaves her tetris on the ground. On their way home, she sees a stork named Đura, she says that his family went south, but that he can't because he hurt his wing, that he'll die. Her mother says that he won't, that maybe he'll fly away. Vesna's reply to that was "He won't, some birds can't fly".

After putting out suet in my yard successfully for many years, I have solved many suet problems. Offering suet is deceptively simple . . . if you pick the right feeder and right location. You want to keep squirrels and raccoons out of the suet and keep starlings and grackles from eating it all, while still keeping woodpeckers and other suet loving birds happy.

The best way to keep squirrels out of suet is to hang it in a suet feeder on a pole protected by barrel type squirrel or raccoon baffle. Next best way is to hang it from a branch under an Erva extra-large baffle, making sure that the suet is well outside of squirrel jumping distance from every direction. See my post on how to position a baffle on a pole for more on putting feeders on poles. (If you instead plan to hang the feeder from a branch and need to choose a hanging baffle, be sure to see my post on Best Hanging Squirrel Baffle.)

Yes and no. In my experience, most of the time, hot pepper flavored suet is not something squirrels like and will mostly leave alone. BUT, if squirrels get hungry enough, especially in winter, they will eat it if they can reach it. Birds on the other hand are fine with hot pepper suet.

European Starlings like to sit on suet feeders and eat and eat and eat until it is gone. Small groups of Common Grackles can sometimes also get quite aggressive about eating suet too. Limit them by using upside-down suet feeders instead of regular open cage feeders or other feeders that let starlings and grackles sit comfortably to eat their fill. They will still visit upside-down feeders and dangle briefly, but it does slow them down and gives other birds more of a chance.

There are also feeders that put suet deep inside a cage so that only small birds can get to the suet. I use an Erva Starling-Proof Suet Feeder as a way to offer suet to smaller birds and block out larger nuisance birds like starlings and grackles. Because it also blocks out larger woodpeckers, I still do use upside-down suet feeders as well. Over time, even Downy Woodpeckers have learned to get inside these feeders to eat, but it tends to do a good job keeping out larger birds.

I purchased some of these blocks to try one winter. Two of five suet feeders contained the more common suet with extra seed and nuts included. One often contained a Nutsie block. When it got cold, I filled the final two with pure suet blocks. The woodpeckers seemed quite content to eat this pure suet at about the same rate as they ate other types of suet. Other birds were not as thrilled and seemed to strongly prefer suet with additions like peanuts.

It is fine to offer suet to birds in the summer but you need to be careful to only use no-melt types of suet. Melting suet can be dangerous for birds both because it can coat their feathers and because it can go bad more quickly.

Read the package ingredient list. Look for rendered beef fat as the first ingredient. Nuts (as the second ingredient) can be an extra protein source and are often enjoyed by the same birds that eat suet but are not a requirement.

Most of the birds that backyard birdwatchers are putting out suet to feed can easily cling and eat upside down. Nuisance birds that try to dominate the feeder and eat all the suet typically have a harder time hanging on upside-down for as long.

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