HardBiologyHigh School (11–12)Diversity of Living Organisms › Chordates and VertebratesNumericalConceptual
A pigeon and a garden lizard rest on the same roof.
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A pigeon and a garden lizard rest on the same roof. The air is at °C at dawn and °C at noon. The pigeon keeps its body at about °C. Estimate the body temperature of each animal at dawn and at noon, and explain the difference.
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Fishes have 2 heart chambers, amphibians 3, most reptiles 3 (crocodiles 4), birds and mammals 4. Only birds and mammals are warm-blooded. Reptiles have dry skin with scales; birds have feathers, pneumatic bones and air sacs; mammals have hair, pinnae and mammary glands, and most are viviparous, but Ornithorhynchus lays eggs.
The worked solution
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Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The lizard. It is a reptile, so it is cold-blooded. Its body follows the air: about °C at dawn and °C at noon.
Step 2. The pigeon. It is a bird, so it is warm-blooded. It keeps its body at about °C at both times.
Step 3. Why. A homoiotherm makes and controls its own body heat. A poikilotherm cannot, so it warms and cools with its surroundings.
Answer: lizard about °C at dawn and °C at noon; pigeon about °C at both times.
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