Question

Which of the following is ‘lizard bird’?
(a) Archaeopteryx
(b) Struthio
(c) Aptenodytes
(d) Hesperornis

Answer 1

Hint: Lizard bird is also sometimes called by its German name ‘Urvogel.’ It means the ‘original bird’ or ‘first bird’. It belongs to a genus of bird-like dinosaurs. It is a transitional phase between non- avian feathered dinosaurs and modern birds.

Complete answer:
Archaeopteryx is commonly called ‘lizard bird’. In Greek, ‘archaios’ means ancient, and ‘ pteryx’ means wings or feathers. They belong to the phylum Chordata. Archaeopteryx is believed to have lived in the late Jurassic period. They used their wings for extra leverage while walking over the water like basilisk lizards. They had a long lizard-like tail. It bore a pair of feathers on each joint. Their wings were furnished with two free claws. Comparing the scleral rings of archaeopteryx with today's birds, it can be concluded that they had a diurnal life similar to the modern bats.
- The genus Struthio was first described by Carl Linnaeus.
- Aptenodytes forsteri is commonly called ‘Emperor Penguin’ while Aptenodytes patagonicus are called by the name ‘King penguin’.
- An adult Emperor Penguin has deep black dorsal feathers. Males and females are similar in size and coloration.

So, the correct answer is, ‘Archaeopteryx.’

Note:
- Struthio is a genus of birds whose members are the ostriches. There are two species alive of this genus. They are common ostrich and Somali ostrich.
- The genus Aptenodytes is composed of two extant species of penguins. They are collectively known as ‘the great penguins.’
- Hesperornis literally means ‘western bird.’ It is the genus of a cormorant-like- bird.
- A diurnal lifestyle is the one in which the organism is active during the day time.