問題詳情
Question I~9The first birds appeared during late Jurassic times. These birds are known fromfour very good skeletons, two incomplete skeletons, and an isolated feather, all fromthe Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria, Germany. This fine-grained rock, which isextensively quarried for lithographic stone, was evidently deposited in a shallow(5) coral lagoon of a tropical sea, and flying vertebrates occasionally fell into the waterand were buried by the fine limy mud, to be preserved with remarkable detail In thisway, the late Jurassic bird skeletons, which have been named Archaeopteryx, werefossilized. And not only were the bones preserved in these skeletons, but so alsowere imprints of the feathers. If the indications of feathers had not been preserved in(10)association with Archaeopteryx, it is likely that these fossils would have beenclassified among the dinosaurs, for they show numerous theropod characteristics.Archaeopteryx were animals about the size of a crow, with an archeosaurian type ofskull, a long neck, a compact body balanced on a pair of strong hind limbs, and along tail. The forelimbs were enlarged and obviously functioned as wings.(15) Modern birds, who are the descendants of these early birds, are highlyorganized animals, with a constant body temperature and a very high rate ofmetabolism. In addition, they are remarkable for having evolved extraordinarilycomplex behavior patterns such as those of nesting and song, and the habit amongmany species of making long migrations from one continent to another and back(20)each year.Most birds also have very strong legs, which allows them to run or walk on theground as well as to fly in the air. Indeed, some of the waterbirds, such as ducks andgeese, have the distinction of being able to move around proficiently in the water, onland, and in the air, a range in natural locomotor ability that has never been attained(25)by any other vertebrate.
【題組】1. According to the author, all of-the following evidence relating to the first birds was found EXCEPT
(A) nesting materials
(B) four skeletons in good condition
(C) two fragmented skeletons
(D) a single feather
參考答案
答案：A
難度：適中0.5
統計：A(2),B(2),C(0),D(0),E(0)