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Antthrush
Formicariidae is a family of smallish passerine birds of subtropical and tropical Central and South America known as formicariids. They are between in length, and are related to the antbirds, Thamnophilidae, and gnateaters, Conopophagidae. This family contains probably (see below) some 12 species in two fairly small genera. These are forest birds that tend to feed on insects at or near the ground. Most are drab in appearance with shades of (rusty) brown, black, and white being their dominant tones. Compared to other birds that specialize in following ants, this family is the most tied to the ground. The long, powerful legs (which lend the birds a distinctive upright posture) and an essentially vestigial tail aid this lifestyle. They lay two or three eggs in a nest in a tree, both sexes incubating. Systematics The antthrushes in the genera ''Formicarius'' and ''Chamaeza'' are similar in appearance to small rails. Their sexes are alike in plumage, and they walk like starlings. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Formicarius (bird)
''Formicarius'' is a genus of passerine birds in the family Formicariidae. These birds are all found in the tropical New World, from southern Mexico south to Central America and northern South America. All are named as ''antthrushes'', and are insectivorous forest birds. They are largely terrestrial, feeding mainly on the ground on ants and other insects. Taxonomy The genus ''Formicarius'' was introduced by the Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert in 1783 in his catalogue of the ten volumes of hand-coloured plates that had been engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet. The plates were produced to accompany Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon's '' Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux''. The type species was subsequently designated as the rufous-capped antthrush (''Formicarius colma'') by the English zoologist George Robert Gray George Robert Gray FRS (8 July 1808 – 6 May 1872) was an English zoologist and author, and head of the ornithological section of the British Museum, now ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chamaeza
''Chamaeza'' is a genus of South American birds in the family Formicariidae. The genus was erected by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors in 1825 with the cryptic antthrush (''Chamaeza meruloides'') as the type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime .... Species The genus contains six species: References Bird genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Formicariidae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Striated Antthrush
The striated antthrush (''Chamaeza nobilis'') is a species of bird in the family Formicariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. The striated antthrush was described by the English ornithologist and bird artist John Gould John Gould (; 14 September 1804 – 3 February 1881) was an English ornithologist. He published a number of monographs on birds, illustrated by plates produced by his wife, Elizabeth Gould, and several other artists, including Edward Lear, ... in 1855 and given its current binomial name ''Chamaeza nobilis''. References Further reading * striated antthrush Birds of the Amazon Basin striated antthrush Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Formicariidae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Evolution
Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation tends to exist within any given population as a result of genetic mutation and recombination. Evolution occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection (including sexual selection) and genetic drift act on this variation, resulting in certain characteristics becoming more common or more rare within a population. The evolutionary pressures that determine whether a characteristic is common or rare within a population constantly change, resulting in a change in heritable characteristics arising over successive generations. It is this process of evolution that has given rise to biodiversity at every level of biological organisation, including the levels of species, individual organisms, and molecules. The theory of evolution by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Homoplasies
Homoplasy, in biology and phylogenetics, is the term used to describe a feature that has been gained or lost independently in separate lineages over the course of evolution. This is different from homology, which is the term used to characterize the similarity of features that can be parsimoniously explained by common ancestry. Homoplasy can arise from both similar selection pressures acting on adapting species, and the effects of genetic drift. Most often, homoplasy is viewed as a similarity in morphological characters. However, homoplasy may also appear in other character types, such as similarity in the genetic sequence, life cycle types or even behavioral traits. Etymology The term homoplasy was first used by Ray Lankester in 1870. The corresponding adjective is either ''homoplasic'' or ''homoplastic''. It is derived from the two Ancient Greek words (), meaning "similar, alike, the same", and (), meaning "to shape, to mold". Parallelism and convergence Parallel and c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhinocrypta
The crested gallito (''Rhinocrypta lanceolata'') is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay. Taxonomy and systematics The crested gallito is the only species in its genus. Two subspecies are recognized, the nominate ''Rhinocrypta lanceolata lanceolata'' and ''R. l. saturata'', which was described in 1939. Description The crested gallito is long. The male weighs and the female . It is an unusual tapaculo, having long crown feathers that it often erects as a crest and even bends forward. It also has a long tail that it cocks upward. The nominate subspecies' head is cinnamon with white streaks, its upper parts including wings and tail olive gray. The throat and chest are pale gray, the sides of the breast chestnut, and the lower belly olive gray. ''R. l. saturata'' is similar but all of the colors are darker.Krabbe, N. and T. S. Schulenberg (2020). Crested Gallito (''Rhinocrypta lanceolata''), version 1.0. In Birds of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Type Genus
In biological taxonomy, the type genus is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name. Zoological nomenclature According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearing type of a nominal family-group taxon is a nominal genus called the 'type genus'; the family-group name is based upon that of the type genus." Any family-group name must have a type genus (and any genus-group name must have a type species, but any species-group name may, but need not, have one or more type specimens). The type genus for a family-group name is also the genus that provided the stem to which was added the ending -idae (for families). :Example: The family name Formicidae has as its type genus the genus ''Formica'' Linnaeus, 1758. Botanical nomenclature In botanical nomenclature, the phrase "type genus" is used, unofficially, as a term of convenience. In the '' ICN'' this phrase has no status. The code uses type specimens for ranks up to fam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grallariidae
Grallariidae is a family of smallish passerine birds of subtropical and tropical Central and South America known as antpittas. They are between 10 and 20 cm (4–8 in) in length, and are related to the antbirds, Thamnophilidae, and gnateaters, Conopophagidae. They were also formerly placed in the Formicariidae, but studies by Rice (2005) indicated a distinct family was supported. Both the North American and South American committees of the AOU recognized the family soon after. This family contains probably (see below) 68 species in one large and four fairly small genera. These are forest birds that tend to feed at or near the ground since many are specialist ant eaters. Most are drab in appearance with shades of (rusty) brown, black, and white being their dominant tones. Compared to other birds that specialize in following ants, this family is the most tied to the ground. The long, powerful legs (which lend the birds a distinctive upright posture) and an essentially ve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sexual Dichromatism
Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most animals and some plants. Differences may include secondary sex characteristics, size, weight, colour, markings, or behavioural or cognitive traits. These differences may be subtle or exaggerated and may be subjected to sexual selection and natural selection. The opposite of dimorphism is ''monomorphism'', which is when both biological sexes are phenotypically indistinguishable from each other. Overview Ornamentation and coloration Common and easily identified types of dimorphism consist of ornamentation and coloration, though not always apparent. A difference in coloration of sexes within a given species is called sexual dichromatism, which is commonly seen in many species of birds and reptiles. Sexual selection leads to the exaggerated dim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pittasoma
''Pittasoma'' is a genus of birds in the gnateater family. Its two members breed in subtropical or tropical moist forest in South and Central America, specifically the Chocó, and Panama and Costa Rica. Formerly placed in the family Formicariidae, they were reclassified to Conopophagidae following analysis of mtDNA cytochrome ''b'' and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 sequences (Rice, 2005a,b). The association between the genus ''Pittasoma'' and the 'traditional' gnateaters is also supported by traits in their natural history, morphology, vocalizations (Rice, 2005a). They are round, short-tailed, and long-legged birds, 16–19 cm (6-7½ inches) in length, making them the largest members of the gnateater family. These terrestrial birds are quite upright when standing. Sexes differ in plumage, but sexual dichromatism is less pronounced than in most members of the other gnateater genus, '' Conopophaga''. They are insectivorous. Species References *Rice, Nathan H. (2005a): Phy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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