Konishi M, Emlen S T, Ricklefs R E, Wingfield J C
Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91125.
Science. 1989 Oct 27;246(4929):465-72. doi: 10.1126/science.2683069.
Birds are widely distributed, highly diversified, and exhibit behavior and social organizations equal in complexity to mammals, yet they are generally more conspicuous and approachable in natural environments. These attributes make birds excellent subjects in many areas of biological research. The topics in which studies on birds have figured prominently include the mechanisms of species formation, the regulation of the distribution and abundance of animals, the effects of the environment on behavior and physiology, the biological and evolutionary significance of variations in social organizations, the encoding of information in animal communication, the sensory basis for migration and navigation, the effects of hormones on nerve cells and behavior, the ontogeny of brain and behavior, and the structure and function of the vertebrate brain. The outstanding record of avian research suggests that birds will continue to provide important models for developing and testing new ideas in various fields of biology.
鸟类分布广泛，种类高度多样，其行为和社会组织的复杂性与哺乳动物相当，然而在自然环境中它们通常更引人注目且易于接近。这些特性使鸟类成为许多生物学研究领域的理想对象。鸟类研究成果显著的主题包括物种形成机制、动物分布和数量的调控、环境对行为和生理的影响、社会组织变化的生物学和进化意义、动物交流中信息的编码、迁徙和导航的感官基础、激素对神经细胞和行为的影响、大脑和行为的个体发育，以及脊椎动物大脑的结构和功能。鸟类研究的杰出记录表明，鸟类将继续为生物学各领域新思想的发展和检验提供重要模型。
