Thread: Evolution of Flamingos?

So for one of my biology assingments i have to make speculations through variations and mutations to explain how the Flamingos bill and the function developed from it evolved...If any one can confirm or perhaps expand on it, giving me advice, it would be greatly appreciated. Anyways, heres what i got:

Initial Species - No mutation has occurred. Primeval flamingo preceding mutation had a large beak - Behavioral Adaptations: It strikes the water chasing fish. Ejects the water that comes in with the fish, and swallows.

Mutation 1 - Ridges on the beak form, which allows for virtually no filtration - Behavioral Adaptations: Enables the flamingo to strip plant matter.

Mutation 2 - Exaggerated ridged surface, which allows for large enough openings for effective filtration - Behavioral Adaptations: Flamingo is able to filter out unnecessary elements in order to maximize on total food consumption.

Final Species (Mutation 3) - The bill has extended downwards - Behavioral Adaptations: Flamingo is able to hold a large quantity to filter by turning its head inversed; ultimately maximizing on food consumption.

That is what i got... i think i should add though, that perhaps something happened to the vertabrae of the flamingo which allows it to inverse its bill to hold the water for lack of a better word.

Anyways, if anyone could help me it be greatly appreciated. I am kind of stuggling with this unit.. anyways, thanks.

can someone please help me for i am in dire need of it. Friday, I got back an evolution assignment which i figured i did well on, and got at my surprise a 50 on. I dropped 3% from 88% and now I am very worried as to how much i could possible drop if i am unable to do well on this assignment. I now I'm asking for a lot, but could someone please help someone out. I feel like about to have a breakdown, please help.

I know crap about flamingos.
However, they have been in recent science news.
I can't find the link on the Science site, but here's one from ScienceDaily:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1030120316.htm

It turns out that they have erectile tissue in their mouths to allow them to drink with their heads upside down.

(Yes. That kind of erectile tissue...)

Thanks i don't know if i can really use that bit of information, but it is nonetheless very appreciated. Can anybody else help me please. There is a lot riding on me doing well on this assignment and i'm having much trepidation because of that. Please, I know someone here is able to anwser this or confirm it. Please its due tomorrow, and this all i have.