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The system of biological taxonomy can be a confusing and sometimes imperfect method of categorizing life, but it can also be an effective way for us to better understand the course of evolution throughout history. It is generally accepted that birds are among the closest direct descendants of dinosaurs, but many people wonder if they can be classified as animals. We’ll work through the defining characteristics of Kingdom Animalia so you can understand if birds are animals, and then move on to discuss the unique characteristics that set a bird apart from the rest of the biological world. …
Definition of the animal world
The kingdom is the second largest division in biological taxonomy, and the five kingdoms represent all the complex organisms that make up the Eucaria Domain. These kingdoms make up the majority of multicellular organisms on the planet and can include everything from oak trees to monkeys to the common flu virus. Here are the five kingdoms:
- Royal mushrooms: Members of the Kingdom of Mushrooms have no direct means of transportation, and usually absorb the nutrients they need from dead environmental matter. All fungi enter the mushroom kingdom, as do mold and yeast. Typically, fungi multiply, releasing their reproductive material in the form of highly resistant spores. This approach allows many fungi to survive even in harsh conditions.
- Kingdom protist: Protista differs from other kingdoms in that it consists mainly of unicellular organisms. Most of these organisms do not have cell walls and can absorb nutrients into their bodies by consuming matter or through photosynthesis. In most cases, a serious scientific microscope may be required to observe them. Its members include sea salad, seaweed, and various types of amoebas.
- Kingdom of Monera: The Kingdom of Monera is uniquely primitive in that its organisms are unicellular. They fall under two classifications – eubacteria and archaea. But not all bacteria fall under this kingdom. Due to its ability to photosynthesize, some species of blue algae belong to the Kingdom Plantae classification.
- Kingdom of Plantae: The Kingdom of Plantai used to cast a wide network, but it continues to be one of the most diverse and vast kingdoms, even now that the Mushrooms and Protista are now divided into their families. The key differentiating factor between plants and representatives of other kingdoms is their ability to photosynthesize. This is due to the presence of chlorophyll in these organisms. This process allows them to absorb all the nutrients they need by absorbing sunlight and carbon dioxide.
- Animal Kingdom: Kingdom Animalia is a category that includes all animals. They are some of the most complex organisms on the planet, and they differ from other kingdoms in many ways: their advanced mobility, their habits of absorbing and processing nutrients, and their reproduction methods are the most common characteristics. Many of the rules defining a kingdom are violated by more than one species, and this can make this kingdom incredibly diverse and sometimes difficult to properly classify organisms within a kingdom.
Determination of the characteristics of animals
The most accurate way to determine if birds are animals is to assess the various characteristics of the animal. Let’s compare them to birds in nature to see how well they stand up to analysis.
- Animals primarily rely on heterotrophic nutrition. Unlike plants or fungi, animals must eat other living things to meet their nutritional needs. It’s the same with every bird on the planet. Whether we’re discussing a vulture that feeds on a festering road kill, a hen pecking seeds in the yard, or a hummingbird making a dinner of nectar, each bird needs to eat to survive. For obvious reasons, they are also incapable of photosynthesis.
- Animals are capable of self-propelled swimming. This can take the form of swimming, flying or walking, and this navigational diversity is reflected across the spectrum of bird species. Despite their awkward appearance, penguins are adept swimmers who can spend long periods of their life underwater. The equally stupid-looking ostrich is capable of a top speed of 43 miles per hour, and their six-inch claws are capable of gutting a living creature. This is not counting the huge number of birds that can fly. Not all animals are capable of independent movement – sponges are especially immobile – but birds with honor meet the criteria for self-movement.
- With rare exceptions, sexual reproduction is the norm for both animals and plants. And some of the species most prized by bird watchers have developed their unique plumage through sexual selection. From the peacock to various birds of paradise and the mandarin duck, there is a distinct pattern in which males develop colorful and vibrant coats while females retain more muted colors. This is also the result of sexual selection, as it makes mothers less visible to predators.
- All animals are multicellular organisms, and this allows them to have incredibly complex physiology. This is especially true of birds, which actually pack more cells into their skulls than mammals, even though their brains are significantly smaller. Cellally, birds are most closely related to reptiles due to the fact that they share dinosaurs as close ancestors.
- Aerobic respiration is present in all animals and is the key to proper absorption of nutrients from food. The oxygen that animals breathe in breaks down sugar into energy, which can then be used by the body. In particular, birds exhibit particularly efficient levels of aerobic respiration. This is a necessity born of evolution, as flight is a method of navigation that requires a lot of energy to maintain.
Birds: Animals or Not?
In the end, it’s important to remember that birds do not belong to Kingdom Animalia simply because they have all the characteristics of an animal. They have all the characteristics of animals because they share a common ancestor with all other animals on the planet. Yes, birds are considered animals. They share this distinction with organisms as diverse as salmon, komodo dragon, gorilla, and mouse.
Fortunately, taxonomy allows us to narrow things down further down the evolutionary chain. Like most of the more advanced species in the animal kingdom, birds belong to the Phylum Chordata – animals that have a vertebra or which at some point in their development develops an evolutionary precursor to the vertebrae.
Unique characteristics of birds
The total number of bird species found is approximately 10,000, but there are some characteristics that are common no matter which species you speak of. Creatures similar to modern birds first appeared 60 million years ago, but they have made many evolutionary turns since then. In most cases, these features persist because they have proven beneficial in different landscapes and for birds with unique physiology.
- Birds got feathers for the same reason mammals got fur: to better regulate their temperature according to external conditions. But feathers also help facilitate flight and may even develop as part of sexual selection. Many birds are missing feathers in noteworthy places, but you won’t find a live bird that at least didn’t have feathers. But vultures, turkeys, and kiwis have rare or unusual feather patterns.
- Rheas, cassowaries and emus are just birds that can’t fly, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have win
gs
. Wings are common to all birds, and many have been modified to better suit life on land or in water. The emu’s wings help him keep his balance while running, and the penguins have developed appendages that look more like flippers than wings. While some mammals, such as the flying squirrel, are capable of flying, birds are the only animal capable of flying. - All bones in the body of a bird are not hollow, but primary. This allows their bodies to be light enough to withstand flight, but many of these bones are hardened internally to make them less fragile. These hollow bones have also evolved to meet the huge respiratory needs of birds. Their lungs can expand into hollow bones when they inhale deeply.
- All birds and turtles have one thing in common – the presence of a beak without teeth. This beak appeared millions of years ago when dinosaurs turned into birds. It is believed that the beak appeared along with the brain in birds. The beak is designed to protect this growing gray matter, but modern birds use the beak for everything from foraging to self-defense and mating.
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