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Promerops
The sugarbirds are a small family (biology), genus, ''Promerops'', and family, Promeropidae, of passerine birds, Endemism, restricted to southern Africa. In general appearance and habits, they resemble large, long-tailed sunbirds or some of the Australian honeyeaters, but are not closely related to the former and are even more distantly related to the latter. They have brownish plumage, the long downcurved bill typical of passerine nectar feeders, and long tail feathers. Taxonomy and systematics The genus ''Promerops'' was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 with the Cape sugarbird (''Promerops cafer'') as the type species. The name of the genus combines the Ancient Greek προ ''pro'' "close to" or "similar" and the genus'' Merops (genus), Merops ''that contains the bee-eaters. The relationships of the sugarbirds have been a source of considerable debate. They were first treated as a far-flung member of the honeyeater family, which is otherwise ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gurney's Sugarbird
Gurney's sugarbird (''Promerops gurneyi'') is a medium-sized passerine Endemism, endemic to the mid- and high-altitude grassland Veld, velds in southern Africa. It belongs to the family Sugarbird, Promeropidae, which contains one genus, ''Promerops'', and two species. Gurney's sugarbird feeds on nectar from ''Protea'' bushes as well as on small insects. This bird is characterized by its long, graduated tail and decurved beak. The common name and Latin binomial commemorate the British banker and amateur ornithologist John Henry Gurney (1819-1890). Description Gurney's sugarbird has a long, decurved bill characteristic of Nectarivore, nectarivores. It has a chestnut-coloured forehead, along with a faint white eyestripe and white mustachial stripe. A white throat stands out against the russet breast. This species of sugarbird has a dark grey back, and a conspicuous bright yellow rump makes this bird easy to spot. The tail is long and graduated, ranging from 11 to 19.3 cm in leng ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
SugarBird
The sugarbirds are a small family (biology), genus, ''Promerops'', and family, Promeropidae, of passerine birds, Endemism, restricted to southern Africa. In general appearance and habits, they resemble large, long-tailed sunbirds or some of the Australian honeyeaters, but are not closely related to the former and are even more distantly related to the latter. They have brownish plumage, the long downcurved bill typical of passerine nectar feeders, and long tail feathers. Taxonomy and systematics The genus ''Promerops'' was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 with the Cape sugarbird (''Promerops cafer'') as the type species. The name of the genus combines the Ancient Greek προ ''pro'' "close to" or "similar" and the genus'' Merops (genus), Merops ''that contains the bee-eaters. The relationships of the sugarbirds have been a source of considerable debate. They were first treated as a far-flung member of the honeyeater family, which is otherwise ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cape Sugarbird
The Cape sugarbird (''Promerops cafer'') is one of the eight bird species endemic to the Fynbos biome of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. Taxonomy The Cape sugarbird was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. He placed it with the bee-eaters in the genus '' Merops'' and coined the binomial name ''Merops cafer''. Linnaeus specified the type locality as Ethiopia but this was changed to the Cape of Good Hope by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760. The Cape sugarbird is now placed in the genus '' Promerops'' that was introduced for the species by Brisson in 1760. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. Description The Cape sugarbird is a grey-brown bird that is easily recognisable by a spot of yellow under its tail and the very long tail feathers present in males. The male is 34–44 cm long, and the shorter-tailed, shorter-billed, and pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Modulatricidae
Modulatricidae is a small family of passerine birds which are restricted to Africa. These species have been taxonomic enigmas in the past, having been moved between the families Muscicapidae, Turdidae, and Timaliidae ''sensu lato''; they are now known to form a clade sister either to the sugarbirds or to the majority of Passeroidea Passerida is, under the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, one of two parvorders contained within the suborder Passeri (standard taxonomic practice would place them at the rank of infraorder). While more recent research suggests that its sister parvorder .... Species * ''Genus: Modulatrix'' ** Spot-throat, ''Modulatrix stictigula'' * ''Genus: Arcanator'' ** Dapple-throat, ''Arcanator orostruthus'' * ''Genus: Kakamega'' ** Grey-chested babbler, ''Kakamega poliothorax'' References {{Taxonbar, from=Q62018031 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Convergent Evolution
Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different periods or epochs in time. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last common ancestor of those groups. The cladistic term for the same phenomenon is Cladogram#Homoplasies, homoplasy. The recurrent evolution of flight is a classic example, as flying pterygota, insects, birds, pterosaurs, and bats have independently evolved the useful capacity of flight. Functionally similar features that have arisen through convergent evolution are ''analogous'', whereas ''homology (biology), homologous'' structures or traits have a common origin but can have dissimilar functions. Bird, bat, and pterosaur wings are analogous structures, but their forelimbs are homologous, sharing an ancestral state despite serving different functions. The opposite of convergence is divergent evolution, where related species evolve different trai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ecological Niche
In ecology, a niche is the match of a species to a specific environmental condition. Three variants of ecological niche are described by It describes how an organism or population responds to the distribution of Resource (biology), resources and competitors (for example, by growing when resources are abundant, and when predators, parasites and pathogens are scarce) and how it in turn alters those same factors (for example, limiting access to resources by other organisms, acting as a food source for predators and a consumer of prey). "The type and number of variables comprising the dimensions of an environmental niche vary from one species to another [and] the relative importance of particular environmental variables for a species may vary according to the geographic and biotic contexts". See also Chapter 2: Concepts of niches, pp. 7 ''ff'' A Grinnellian niche is determined by the habitat in which a species lives and its accompanying Behavioral ecology, behavioral adaptations. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beak
The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure found mostly in birds, but also in turtles, non-avian dinosaurs and a few mammals. A beak is used for pecking, grasping, and holding (in probing for food, eating, manipulating and carrying objects, killing prey, or fighting), preening, courtship, and feeding young. The terms ''beak'' and '' rostrum'' are also used to refer to a similar mouth part in some ornithischians, pterosaurs, cetaceans, dicynodonts, rhynchosaurs, anuran tadpoles, monotremes (i.e. echidnas and platypuses, which have a bill-like structure), sirens, pufferfish, billfishes, and cephalopods. Although beaks vary significantly in size, shape, color and texture, they share a similar underlying structure. Two bony projections–the upper and lower mandibles–are covered with a thin keratinized layer of epidermis known as the rhamphotheca. In most species, two holes called ''nares'' lead to the respiratory system. Etymology Although the wo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sexual Dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different Morphology (biology), morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecy, dioecious species, which consist of most animals and some plants. Differences may include secondary sex characteristics, size, weight, color, markings, or behavioral or cognitive traits. Male-male reproductive competition has evolved a diverse array of sexually dimorphic traits. Aggressive utility traits such as "battle" teeth and blunt heads reinforced as battering rams are used as weapons in aggressive interactions between rivals. Passive displays such as ornamental feathering or song-calling have also evolved mainly through sexual selection. These differences may be subtle or exaggerated and may be subjected to sexual selection and natural selection. The opposite of dimorphism is ''monomorphism'', when both biological sexes are phenotype, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gurney's Sugarbird, Promerops Gurneyi At Marakele National Park (14142942643)
Gurney's Inn is a Long Island oceanfront resort, in Montauk, New York. Presidency of Richard Nixon, U.S. President Richard Nixon wrote his acceptance speech at the Skippers Cottage at Gurney's Inn. The oceanfront resort includes a seawater pool and group accommodations for weddings, business meetings and other events. Gurney's Inn was described on the Travel Channel show ''Hotel Impossible'' on April 9, 2012, as not keeping up with the times. In 2015, the resort underwent major renovation, retrofitting and took the name Gurney's Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa. It now features renovated rooms and a large spa. It is the only licensee on the East End allowing it to function as an on ocean beach restaurant. In 2017, Gurneys Resorts opened their first property outside of Long Island, Gurney's Newport Resort & Marina, in the former Hyatt Regency. It is located on Goat Island in Newport, Rhode Island. In 2018, the resort acquired the Montauk Yacht Club Resort and Marina, to be rena ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Effective Population Size
The effective population size (''N''''e'') is the size of an idealised population that would experience the same rate of genetic drift as the real population. Idealised populations are those following simple one- locus models that comply with assumptions of the neutral theory of molecular evolution. The effective population size is normally smaller than the census population size ''N'', partly because chance events prevent some individuals from breeding, and partly due to background selection and genetic hitchhiking. The same real population could have a different effective population size for different properties of interest, such as genetic drift (or more precisely, the speed of coalescence) over one generation vs. over many generations. Within a species, areas of the genome that have more genes and/or less genetic recombination tend to have lower effective population sizes, because of the effects of selection at linked sites. In a population with selection at many loci an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Inbreeding
Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely genetic distance, related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and other consequences that may arise from expression of wikt:deleterious, deleterious dominance (genetics), recessive traits resulting from incestuous sexual relationships and consanguinity. Animals avoid inbreeding only rarely. Inbreeding results in homozygous, homozygosity which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive phenotypic trait, traits. In extreme cases, this usually leads to at least temporarily decreased Fitness (biology), biological fitness of a population (called inbreeding depression), which is its ability to survive and reproduce. An individual who inherits such deleterious traits is colloquially referred to as ''inbred''. The avoidance of expression of such deleterious recessive allel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
