ratite


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rat·ite

 (răt′īt′)
adj.
Relating to or being any of a group of flightless birds having a flat breastbone without the keellike prominence characteristic of most flying birds.
n.
A ratite bird, such as the ostrich or emu.
[From Latin ratītus, marked with the figure of a raft (in reference to the lack of the keellike prominence), from ratis, raft.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ratite

(ˈrætaɪt)
adj
1. (Zoology) (of flightless birds) having a breastbone that lacks a keel for the attachment of flight muscles
2. (Zoology) of or denoting the flightless birds, formerly classified as a group (the Ratitae), that have a flat breastbone, feathers lacking vanes, and reduced wings
n
3. (Animals) a bird, such as an ostrich, kiwi, or rhea, that belongs to this group; a flightless bird
4. (Zoology) a bird, such as an ostrich, kiwi, or rhea, that belongs to this group; a flightless bird
[C19: from Latin ratis raft]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

rat•ite

(ˈræt aɪt)

adj.
1. having a flat, unkeeled sternum, as an ostrich, cassowary, emu, or moa.
n.
2. a bird having a ratite sternum.
[1875–80; < Latin rat(is) raft + -ite2]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.ratite - flightless birds having flat breastbones lacking a keel for attachment of flight muscles: ostrichesratite - flightless birds having flat breastbones lacking a keel for attachment of flight muscles: ostriches; cassowaries; emus; moas; rheas; kiwis; elephant birds
flightless bird, ratite bird
bird - warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
Struthio camelus, ostrich - fast-running African flightless bird with two-toed feet; largest living bird
cassowary - large black flightless bird of Australia and New Guinea having a horny head crest
Dromaius novaehollandiae, Emu novaehollandiae, emu - large Australian flightless bird similar to the ostrich but smaller
apteryx, kiwi - nocturnal flightless bird of New Zealand having a long neck and stout legs; only surviving representative of the order Apterygiformes
Rhea americana, rhea - larger of two tall fast-running flightless birds similar to ostriches but three-toed; found from Brazil to Patagonia
nandu, Pterocnemia pennata, rhea - smaller of two tall fast-running flightless birds similar to ostriches but three-toed; found from Peru to Strait of Magellan
aepyornis, elephant bird - huge (to 9 ft.) extinct flightless bird of Madagascar
moa - extinct flightless bird of New Zealand
carinate, carinate bird, flying bird - birds having keeled breastbones for attachment of flight muscles
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
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References in periodicals archive ?
However, a similar material, hydroxyapatite, has led to successful bone healing in a critical defect model in pigeons (Columba livid) (14) Other bone stimulatory materials reported for use in bone defects in birds are an autogenous bone graft taken from the carina, an allogenic demineralized bone matrix, a ratite cancellous bone xenograft, and bone morphogenetic protein-2.
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Emus like their cousins the ostriches are slightly unfortunate birds in that their body structure doesn't have a 'keel' (ratis, in Latin, from where we get ratite) to support their wings when extended, thereby rendering them incapable of flying even if they wanted to.
Sometimes you don't need wings to fly
YESTERDAY'S SOLUTION: agar; area; aria; attar; attire; aver; avert; gaiter; gear; girt; giver; grate; grave; GRAVITATE; great; grit; irate; raga; rage; riata; rata; rate; ratite; ravage; rave; regatta; rite; rive; rivet; tare; targe; target; tart; tater; tear; terai; tetra; tiara; tier; tiger; tire; titre; trait; treat; tret; triage; trig; trite; trivet; vair; variate; vert; virga; virgate.
Nonagram
Rhea americana is a species of birds belonging to the ratite group, which includes ostriches (Struthio camelus), emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae), cassowaries (Casuarius casuarius) and kiwis (Apteryx spp.).
Hematological, morphological and morphometric characteristics of blood cells from rhea, Rhea Americana (Struthioniformes: Rheidae): a standard for Brazilian birds/Caracteristicas hematologicas, morfologicas e morfometricas de celulas sanguineas de emas, Rhea americana (Struthioniformes: Rheidae):um padrao para aves brasileiras
"Kiwi Simile" is an unusual, humorous nature educational book that combines pungent, witty, graphic-like illustrations with fascinating factoids and details about the life and habits of the New Zealand kiwi, a threatened species which is described as a bird and an "honorary mammal." The kiwi is the smallest Ratite, a category of flightless bird species.
New Creative Nonfiction Books
Biologists in the 1970s debated whether the kiwi and other flightless ratite birds arose when flightless common ancestors drifted apart by riding on landmasses that fragmented and separated.
Flightless birds' history upset by ancient DNA
A new study by the University of Adelaide's Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD), has solved a 150-year-old evolutionary mystery about the origins of the giant flightless "ratite" birds, such as the emu and ostrich, which are found across the southern continents.
Kiwi not related to emu as previously believed
A new study by the University of Adelaide's Australian Center for Ancient DNA (ACAD), has solved a 150-year-old evolutionary mystery about the origins of the giant flightless "ratite" birds, such as the emu and ostrich, which are found across the Southern continents.
Ancient DNA Ends Aussie Claim to Kiwi Origins
This is technically correct, though as Caughley pointed out, there is no forest ratite to replace the moa, but there are other browsers such as deer (and possum) which would provide not the same browse, but a browse that would help maintain the forest in as near to its pristine condition as it is possible in the 21st.
What's up, doc? What if NZ's entire conservation policy has been based on a massive mistake..
Indeed, while Ratite is no doubt right to emphasize the philosophical contributions of these philosophical works, Abhinava sometimes speaks in a theological register in the TIN and IPVV, even though Utpala essentially avoids doing so in his IPK and IPV.
Le Soi et l'Autre: Identite, difference et alterite dans la philosophie de la Pratyabhijna
& ELLEGREN, H., 1999.- A simple and universal method for molecular sexing of non ratite birds.
Determinacion del sexo en aves de la familia furnariidae a traves de tecnicas moleculares

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