biology

Gould's emerald

Gould's emerald is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Gould's emerald rather than just read about it. In short: Gould's emerald (Riccordia elegans) or the Caribbean emerald is an extinct species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It was described based on a single specimen taken in 1860; it is of unknown origin, but the northern Bahamas or especially Jamaica are likely sources.

Key takeaways

Gould's emerald belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Gould's emerald to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Gould's emerald from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Gould's emerald (Riccordia elegans) or the Caribbean emerald is an extinct species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It was described based on a single specimen taken in 1860; it is of unknown origin, but the northern Bahamas or especially Jamaica are likely sources. In 2023 the International Ornithological Committee deleted it from its species list "until, and if, genetic analysis and/or stable isotope analysis sheds further light on its status."

Extinction Except for the type specimen, there are no records, and it is presumed extinct. While there is no information about the exact cause of extinction, the likely reasons include the loss of habitat or required food plants, and predation by introduced mammals. The holotype is currently located in Natural History Museum at Tring.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Gould's emerald

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Gould's emerald claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Gould's emerald before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Gould's emerald ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Gould's emerald

In research: Gould's emerald appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Gould's emerald in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Gould's emerald is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Birds described in 1860, Controversial hummingbird taxa, Extinct birds of the Caribbean, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Gould's emerald outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Gould's emerald” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Gould's emerald in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Gould's emerald means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Gould's emerald out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gould's emerald in simple terms?

Why does Gould's emerald matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Gould's emerald?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Gould's emerald.