Adaptations in birds and insects. Skeleton -Lightweight skeleton -Mostly thin and hollow bones.

Adaptations in birds and insects

Skeleton

- Lightweight skeleton- Mostly thin and

hollow bones

Body Shape

Streamline shape

Smaller head and a wider body

Slender legs

Wings

- The upper arm is short and thick, for powering the wing beat

- The bend in the middle of the wing is actually the bird’s wrist.

- The last joint of the wing is like our hand, but it has only one finger bone.

- This holds all the long primary feathers used for flying.

Curved on the top, flat on the bottom to create lift

Tail

- The tail helps the bird with some lift and speed of flight and also with direction.

- Uses the tail like a ship uses a rudder, steers the bird

- Also keeps it balance.

Propulsion

Use their wings as the source of propulsion

With each motion the bird maintains flight

As the wings beat, the primary flight feathers actually twist to provide thrust

Feathers

Feathers are incredibly strong and yet are incredibly flexible. To allow both lift and forward movement, feathers can bend at almost a right angles.

Contour feathers: small feathers that cover the body, wings, and tail.

 Flight feathers: feathers used in flight

Semi-plumes: feathers used to create shape for the bird and provide some warmth

Down feathers: soft under-feathers that provide insulation for warmth for a bird.

Bristles: feathers used as a touch sensor or funnel that make the bird reflexively snap up food.

Other?

Feathers

Ability to maintain the energy needed to fly

ie) high metabolic rate

What about penguins?

- Penguins have very small wings, yet are very heavy & fat.

- special bone structure and the blubber that they carry

- Penguin feathers are short and tight to keep water away from the skin and to create a smooth surface to lower drag.

- Flying birds have very different feathers that are fluffy to trap air for insulation

Insects

Body shape Wings Light in mass

Larger wings are usually used for distance and not for speed

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Four Forces of Flight

If lift becomes greater than the weight, the plane would …

If thrust becomes greater than the drag, the plane would…

If lift, weight, thrust and drag become equal, the plane would..

If thrust becomes less than drag, the plane would..

If lift becomes less than weight, the plane would…

In a flying airplane…

What about a wings shape makes it so they can fly optimally

Wings (Airfoils)

Wings (Airfoils)

Curved on the top and flat on the bottom

Designed so that air flows over the top of the wing faster than it flows under the wing