Skeletal System in Birds – Imaluop

Skeletal system in birds show some peculiarities which are adaptation for their swiftness in flying movement by reducing their body weight and giving other facilities of aerodynamics. Avians show great adaptation for flying and all features of their body always try to make them perfect for flying movement and one of them is specialised skeletal system in birds. 

Skeletal System in Birds: 

Structure of the skeletal system is similar to other members of vertebrates but they have some fundamental differences which makes them separate from other animals by making them suitable for flight.  

Every part of their skeletal system shows some modifications which are flight oriented like their skull and other parts of body.  

They Have Very Light Skeletal System: 

First principles of flying is to be light weight which brings swiftness in flying and less energy consumption for flying. Their skeletal systems are modified to make them light because most of the bones are pneumatic or filled with air which makes their bones very light and give buoyancy for flights.  

Their Skeletal System is Light but not Weak: 

It is true that their skeletal system consists of hollow and air filled bone but their bone is not weak, instead they have strong and tough bone which is necessary to face the stress of air during flying and landing. 

They Have Less Number of Bone: 

Light weight due to hollow air-filled bone is not useful for flights if the number of bones is very much so in birds numbers of bone is less as compared to mammals and other animals. The birds have only those bones which are necessary for supporting their body structure and help in flight so the number of bones is minimised as much as possible in birds. 

Special Structure in Bone: 

Their hollow bones have internal cross walls which makes them very rigid and the air cavities in their bones able to absorb and store oxygen because during flight very much energy is required.

Most of the bone is fused instead of joint to make their whole skeleton very strong and they show some special structure in their skeletal system. Their sternum is flattened and forms a keel like structure which is fused collarbone, breastbone and it is very useful for attachment of flight muscles strongly.  

Fused Vertebral Column in Birds: 

Their backbone gives them rigidity for flying because their vertebrae in their vertebral column are fused to act as a rod like strong structure. 

Skull Size in Birds: 

In birds every part of their skeletal system is well optimised for either reducing their body weight or giving aerodynamic facilities and one another adaptation in their skeletal system is their skull which is much smaller as compared to their body size which contributes to reducing their body weight. 

Birds Do not have Teeth: 

Teeth are bony structures which also contribute a little to increase overall body weight of an organism but in birds teeth are absent. Though teeth were present in some ancient bird species like in case of archaeopteryx, modern birds do not have teeth which reduces the overall body weight and they have light weight beaks to perform some similar functions without teeth. 

Flexible Neck in Birds: 

Birds have a peculiar flexible neck to move their head all around which is necessary to keep alert against their enemy and take care of their whole body and feathers. This super flexible neck is possible due to the large number of cervical bone of vertebral column in their neck region which is made of upto 25 cervical bone which is not common in most of the animals.  

Storehouse of Calcium for Their Eggs Shell: 

Some portion of their skeletal system like shoulder bone, limb bone, pelvic bone which store large amounts of calcium and the calcium is required for their shell structure in eggs.

Read More:  Characteristics and Classification of Aves