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Bird Erections

10,000 Birds

Be glad that you are not Dr. Patricia Brennan of Yale University, who, with her team, “closely examined the penis of a male ostrich and three male emus.” ” Ain’t science grand? They use lymph fluid to get erect, not blood.

Ostriches 168
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Being A Living Fossil Evolved Multiple Times

10,000 Birds

The original story is that emus and ostriches and moas and such evolved as a separate group of birds from all the other birds, from the basal birdish thing that gave rise to all the living birds, and became a large land bird.

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Vagrancy in Birds: A Book Review

10,000 Birds

Vagrancy in Birds is organized into two major parts: (1) A detailed, 62-page synthesis of research and theory and (2) “Family Accounts,” 259 pages covering bird families from Struthionidae/Ostriches) to Thraupidae/Tanagers and allies (Clements is the taxonomic authority). It’s not always easy reading.

Birds 258
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Stuck in the middle (of the AOU/COS meeting)

10,000 Birds

Other hardy souls signed up for an early morning “Ostrich Run” 5k, with the prizes beinging–you guessed it–actual ostrich eggs. Some lingered to gaze at samples from the Field’s collection of bird specimens, such as perfectly preserved thrushes, warblers, and even a Rose-breasted Grosbeak under glass.

San Diego 174
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The Feather Thief: A Book Review

10,000 Birds

71): Ingredients include feathers from a Spangled Cotinga (called ‘Chatterer’ by tiers), Blue Macaw, Red-Ruffed Fruitcrow (‘Indian Crow’), Ostrich, and, according to Johnson, Golden Pheasant (the jungle c**k, I think). This is also where Johnson starts talking about the cost of the theft to the Museum and to science.

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Here’s the new bird family tree. It’s amazing.

10,000 Birds

The magnificent history and diversity of birds on Earth came into sharper focus this month with the publication of 28 new scientific papers in Science and other journals. American Flamingo photo by Dick Culbert). Now it’s late 2014, six and a half years later, and here’s what we know today. Open Jarvis et al.’s

Family 279
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Flying Dinosaurs: A Review by a Triceratops Fan

10,000 Birds

Pickrell, an Australian science writer who grew up in Great Britain and studied for his master’s degree at London’s Natural History Museum, is clearly engaged with his subject. There is a lot of science here to explain. Pickrell puts the pieces together in 11 chapters.

Mongolia 181