The class name for birds is what?

• A. Reptilia
• B. Mammalia
• C. Aves
• D. Amphibia

Answer: (C)

Biological classification organizes living things into groups that share defining traits, and birds form a distinct class because of their common avian features. Birds are warm-blooded vertebrates with feathers, beaks, and many skeletal adaptations for flight, and they lay eggs. All of these shared characteristics place them in the class Aves.

The other groups represent different lineages: reptiles include snakes, lizards, and turtles and typically have scaly skin; mammals have hair and produce milk for their young; amphibians like frogs and salamanders usually have moist skin and go through metamorphosis. Because birds are united by their defining avian traits, the correct class is Aves.