How does the soindle shape body help birds?
Answers
Answered by
3
Adaptations for flight are many in a bird's body: these are called volant adaptations .
Explanation:
Bird's body is spindle shaped which provide less resistance while flying or during swimming as in case of penguins.Bird's volume of the body is increased by presence of feathers compared to the weight.Fore limbs are modified into wings for aerial locomotion.Reduction of weight is achieved by:
loss of fingers;
loss of sutures in skull , skull bones are thinner;
absence of teeth , jaw bones form beak;
tendency of fusion of vertebral bones to form synsacrum ;
tail vestigial, represented by pygostyle that supports tail feathers;
external ear is represented by only tympanum;
fibula of leg is vestigial .
Bones are pneumatic (with air spaces).There are air sacs attached to lungs .Large flight muscles are attached to humerus at one end, and the other ends of these large muscles remain attached to keel : latter is huge ventral projection on sternum. (Keel is much smaller/vestigial in flight less birds.)Gonads squeeze in size after breeding season; in females only one side of reproductive system remain functional.Birds excrete uric acid, hence voluminous watery urine is not produced. Urinary bladder absent .Birds need more energy to sustain flight :
their haemoglobin content is very high,
heart rate is high,
digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems are very efficient;
metabolic rate is also high,
thus a higher body temperature is maintained.
hope this proves to be useful......
Explanation:
Bird's body is spindle shaped which provide less resistance while flying or during swimming as in case of penguins.Bird's volume of the body is increased by presence of feathers compared to the weight.Fore limbs are modified into wings for aerial locomotion.Reduction of weight is achieved by:
loss of fingers;
loss of sutures in skull , skull bones are thinner;
absence of teeth , jaw bones form beak;
tendency of fusion of vertebral bones to form synsacrum ;
tail vestigial, represented by pygostyle that supports tail feathers;
external ear is represented by only tympanum;
fibula of leg is vestigial .
Bones are pneumatic (with air spaces).There are air sacs attached to lungs .Large flight muscles are attached to humerus at one end, and the other ends of these large muscles remain attached to keel : latter is huge ventral projection on sternum. (Keel is much smaller/vestigial in flight less birds.)Gonads squeeze in size after breeding season; in females only one side of reproductive system remain functional.Birds excrete uric acid, hence voluminous watery urine is not produced. Urinary bladder absent .Birds need more energy to sustain flight :
their haemoglobin content is very high,
heart rate is high,
digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems are very efficient;
metabolic rate is also high,
thus a higher body temperature is maintained.
hope this proves to be useful......
Attachments:
Similar questions