Flight, in animals, locomotion of either of two basic types—powered, or true, flight and gliding. Winged (true) flight is found only in insects (most orders), most birds, and bats. The evolutionary modifications necessary for true flight in warm-blooded
This chapter presents a study on the oxygen storage and blood transport as adaptations for flight in birds. In this study, three species of birds representing different levels of activity were analyzed: (1) the quail (Coturnix coturnix), (2) the starling (Sturmus vulgaris), and (3) the ...
in brain activity that characterize sleep are required to answer this question. Furthermore, such recordings are needed to establish the amount, intensity, and types of sleep, and the potential implications that flight-related sleep adaptations have for understanding the functions of sleep. Due to ...
We also examined whether bird and partner mass influence trip decisions; specifically, we expected that birds departing at a lower mass would gain more mass at sea (e.g. Kim et al., 2018; Weimerskirch, 1995; H2a) and those with partners in better condition would travel further and/or ...
The avian nature ofArchaeopteryx’s humeral and ulnar cross-sectional geometry shares more flight-related biomechanical and physiological adaptations with modern volant birds than previously known, which we argue to reflect the shared capability of powered flight.Confuciusornisfrom the Early Cretaceous of ...
Flapping flight is a highly effective form of locomotion which has permitted the radiation of birds into a wide range of niches. In this chapter I explore how the mechanics of flapping flight have molded the flight adaptations of birds. The paper has thr
Based on evolutionary morphological analysis of the fore and hind limbs of extinct and extant birds, a new compromise hypothesis of the origin of flight in
Using a phylogenetic comparative approach and data from 178 species of birds, we investigated whether both position along the wing length and flight feather length affected vane structure. We found that barb density was lower on distal primaries than on proximal primaries of the leading feather vane...
Using a phylogenetic comparative approach and data from 178 species of birds, we investigated whether both position along the wing length and flight feather length affected vane structure. We found that barb density was lower on distal primaries than on proximal primaries of the leading feather vane...
Tropical birds were shown to have lower pace of life characteristics compared to temperate-zone birds at the inter- and intraspecific level38,39. If we would assume a similar relationship between SMR and pace of life in butterflies, then latitudinal effects tend to go in the same direction, ...