Digestive Adaptations of Aerial Lifestyles
Year: 2015
Type: review
Abstract: Flying vertebrates (birds and bats) are under selective pressure to reduce the size of the gut and the mass of the digesta it carries. Compared with similar-sized nonflying mammals, birds and bats have smaller intestines and shorter retention times. We review evidence that birds and bats have lower spare digestive capacity and partially compensate for smaller intestines with increased paracellular nutrient absorption.
Source: Physiology
Language: English
Subfield: Anatomy
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica, Secretaría de Ciencia y Técnica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica
Award: G7378882120
OpenAlex ID: W2114174240