A vertebrate paleontologist is hunting through chalk deposits and finds a set of fused clavicles with some other bone fragments. What has she found?

Question

A.  The remains of an amphibian.
B.  The remains of a lobe-finned fish.
C.  The remains of a bird.
D.  The remains of a mammal.

Clarify Question
· What is the key concept addressed by the question?
· What type of thinking is required?

Gather Content
· What do you already know about bird adaptations?

Choose Answer
· Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most likely to produce the correct answer?

Reflect on Process
· Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?

Answer 1

C.  The remains of a bird.

Clarify Question
· What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        o This question addresses bird adaptations.
· What type of thinking is required?
        o This question is asking you to take what you already know and apply it to this unfamiliar situation.

Gather Content
· What do you already know about bird adaptations?
        o Birds have several adaptations for flight.
        o The bones of birds are thin and hollow. Many of the bones are fused, making the bird skeleton more rigid than a reptilian skeleton. The fused sections of backbone and of the shoulder and hip girdles form a sturdy frame that anchors muscles during flight.
        o The power for active flight comes from large breast muscles that can make up 30% of a bird’s total body weight. They stretch down from the wing and attach to the breastbone, which is greatly enlarged and bears a prominent keel for muscle attachment.

Choose Answer
· Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most likely to produce the correct answer?
        o Birds are the group of vertebrates known for fused bones. The fused sections of backbone and of the shoulder and hip girdles form a sturdy frame that anchors muscles during flight.

Reflect on Process
· Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
        o The question required you to take what you already know and apply it to this unfamiliar situation.
        o Did you recognize that birds have many fused bones to help them fly?