OpisthocomidaeOpisthocomidae is a family of birds, the only named family within the order Opisthocomiformes. The only living representative is the hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) which lives in the Amazon and the Orinoco delta in South America. Several fossil species have been identified, including one from Africa and one from Europe. PhylogenyThe phylogeny below is based on the work of Hughes & Baker 1999 and Mayr & De Pietri 2014.
BirdBirds are a group of warm-bloodedvertebrateanimals constituting the classAves, characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton that retains dinosaur-like characteristics. Birds live worldwide and range in size from the 5.5 cm (2.2 in) bee hummingbird to the 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) common ostrich.
UngulateUngulates are members of the diverse cladeEuungulata, which primarily consists of large mammals with hooves. Once part of the taxon "Ungulata" along with paenungulates and tubulidentates, as well as several extinct taxa, "Ungulata" has since been determined to be a polyphyletic grouping based on molecular data.
FermentationFermentation is a type of anaerobic metabolism that harnesses the redox potential of the reactants to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and organic end products. Organic molecules, such as glucose or other sugars, are catabolized and their electrons are transferred to other organic molecules (cofactors, coenzymes, etc.).
Amazon basinMajor drainage basin in South AmericaAmazon River basin.Countries where the Amazon basin is presentThe mouth of the Amazon RiverThe Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers a large area spreading across the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela, as well as the territory of French Guiana.
MangroveShrub growing in brackish waterMangroves are hardy shrubs and trees that thrive in salt water and have specialised adaptations so they can survive the volatile energies of intertidal zones along marine coasts.A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers.
Taxonomy (biology)Science of classifying organismsIn biology, taxonomy (from Ancient Greek τάξις (taxis) 'arrangement' and -νομία (-nomia) 'method') is the scientific study of naming, defining (circumscribing) and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics. Modern approaches prioritize common ancestry and evolutionary relationships.
HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically or physiologically evolved to feed on plants, especially upon vascular tissues such as foliage, fruits or seeds, as the main component of its diet. These more broadly also encompass animals that eat non-vascularautotrophs such as mosses, algae and lichens, but do not include those feeding on decomposedplant matters (i.e. detritivores) or macrofungi (i.e. fungivores).
Digit (anatomy)A digit is one of several most distal parts of a limb, such as fingers or toes, present in many vertebrates.
Orinoco BasinThe Orinoco Basin is the part of South America drained by the Orinoco river and its tributaries. The Orinoco watershed covers an area of about 990,000 km (380,000 sq mi), making it the third largest in South America, covering most of Venezuela and eastern part of Colombia.
NeontologyNeontology is a part of biology that, in contrast to paleontology, studies and deals with living (or, more generally, recent) organisms. It is the study of extant taxa (singular: extant taxon): taxa (such as species, genera and families) with members still alive, as opposed to (all) being extinct.pedalRelated word or term.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.