Question

Which of the following statements about bird evolution are accurate based on the evidence presented?

a. Feathers may have originally evolved for interspecies communication and display.
b. Feathers may have originally evolved for insulation.
c. The evolution of feathers and other characteristics of birds occurred in a linear progression.
d. Feathered birds, capable of flight, evolved after the extinction of dinosaurs.

Answer 1

Feathers may have originally evolved for insulation. Hence the correct option is b.

The evidence supporting the idea that feathers initially evolved for insulation comes from the fossil record, which includes primitive feathered structures on non-avian dinosaur specimens. These early feathers lacked the aerodynamic sophistication necessary for flight, pointing towards an initial function related to thermoregulation.

The insulation hypothesis suggests that feathers provided an advantage to these feathered dinosaurs by helping regulate body temperature. Over time, as these feathered creatures evolved, feathers might have been co-opted for other purposes, such as communication, display, and eventually, the development of flight capabilities.

This view challenges the notion of a linear progression in the evolution of bird characteristics, emphasizing the multifaceted and adaptive nature of evolutionary processes. Feathers likely underwent complex developments, serving different functions at different stages in the evolutionary history of birds. Hence the correct option is b.