The cervical cutaneous and subcutaneous structures in songbirds and their possible roles in vocalization (918.10)
2014; Wiley; Volume: 28; Issue: S1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1096/fasebj.28.1_supplement.918.10
ISSN1530-6860
AutoresAmanda Cozic, Roderick A. Suthers, Dominique G. Homberger,
Tópico(s)Avian ecology and behavior
ResumoAvian vocalizations are the product of the sound‐generating syrinx and the sound‐resonating suprasyringeal structures and organs of the neck. Whereas the sound‐resonating role of the oro‐pharyngo‐esophageal cavity has been analyzed, this is not the case for the rest of the cervical structures. We therefore undertook a functional‐morphological analysis of the soft‐tissue organs of the neck in two songbird species, the Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis , and the House Sparrow, Passer domesticus , by using micro‐dissection to create the soft tissue parameters to be applied to a virtual 3D model that was generated from a CT scan. The soft‐tissue organs of the neck are arranged in concentric layers: (1) The skin with dorsal and ventral feather tracts (pterylae) separated by large featherless lateral apteria; (2) the constrictor fascia and muscle; (3) the longitudinal fascia with longitudinal subcutaneous muscles; and (4) the trachea and esophagus. This system creates a cervical coelom that allows the esophagus, crop, and trachea some mobility relative to the cervical vertebral column. In addition, the integument and fascia may serve as a drum skin over a resonating chamber created by the oro‐pharyngo‐esophageal cavity. The tension of the skin and fascias can be modified by the varying curvature of the vertebral column during singing, which may tune the resonating chamber like the tunable Asian Indian drums (tablas and mridangams). Grant Funding Source : Supported by NIH grant NINDS R01 NS029467 to RAS and the LSU Foundation account “Functional Morpholo
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