Unit 10. Animal adaptations

Lexis: Zoology / Molecular biology / Evolution / Ecology / Paleontology Listening. 3 texts

Text a. Radiation and evolution

Exercise 1. What do you know about the effects of radiation on animals? Discuss the questions:

1. What impact does radiation produce on living organisms?

2. How do animals respond to high doses of radiation – both short-term and long-term exposure?

persistent – устойчивый, постоянный background – фоновый site – место расположения barn swallow – ласточка great tit – большая синица great reed warbler – дроздовидная камышовка buzzard – канюк обыкновенный Eurasian jay – сойка

Exercise 2. Listen to the text (Script 25) which describes a study of the biological responses to radiation exposure. What difference in bird numbers was revealed?

Exercise 3. Listen to the text again and explain what the following figures refer to in the text:

2011 7 1986 7,000 km 14 300

0.5 35 0.05 2006-2009 a third twice as large

Exercise 4. Using information from the text prove the following statements:

1. Fukushima and Chernobyl – the sites of two biggest nuclear incidents - have much in common.

2. Bird numbers in both areas demonstrate dependence on radiation levels and the duration of exposure.

3. Birds under long-term exposure to radiation seem to develop a tolerance for radioactivity over time.

Exercise 5. Listen to the second text (Script 26) which describes a follow-up investigation of birds and compare the facts presented in both texts.

Exercise 6. Listen to the text again and answer the questions:

1. What methods did the team employ?

2. What protective mechanisms have the birds evolved to resist the negative effects of radiation?

Text b. Palaeontology

Exercise 7. What do you know about the origin of birds? Answer the questions:

1. How and when during the evolution did animals develop wings? Why?

2. How and when during the evolution did animals develop feathers? Why?

Exercise 8. What do you know about the following:

a) the Jurassic period,

b) the Cretaceous period,

c) Archaeopteryx,

d) Microraptor.

to spin off – дать начало to deploy – задействовать biplane - биплан coplanar – копланарный, лежащий в одной плоскости steering – управление направлением движения, управление рулем lithe – гибкий, грациозный stubby – коренастый, приземистый rudder – руль направления sharp-shinned hawk – полосатый ястреб trunk – ствол дерева paragon – эталон, образец drag – сопротивление, торможение потока воздуха keel – гребень грудной кости

Exercise 9. Listen to the text (Script 27) to check your answers in Exercise 6 and Exercise 7. How does the new hypothesis explain why Microraptor had four wings and why it became extinct?

Exercise 10. Listen to the text again and say if the following statements are true or false, correct the false ones:

1. Traditionally only one established hypothesis explained how Microraptor deployed its four wings in flight.

2. Both pairs of wings were similar in shape but different in function.

3. The front pair of wings according to the new interpretation was used to provide lift.

4. Microraptor's hind wings due to their shape were perfect for steering.

5. Microraptor’s habitat and lifestyle determined the shape of its wings.

6. It is not yet known if Microraptor was a predator.

7. Microraptor became extinct during the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous.

8. Although Microraptor’s hind wings increased its manoeuvrability they also resulted in drag.

9. Microraptor lost the evolutionary competition to birds.

10. Unlike Microraptor modern birds are not adapted for forest flight.