Zeack News

Washington, Jun 10 : A new discovery has raised doubts about the dinosaur-bird links after researchers found how avians breathe and have a lung capacity which allows for flight.

A team at Oregon State University has discovered that it's the fixed position of bird bones and musculature which actually keeps their air-sac lung from collapsing when the bird inhales, the 'The Journal of Morphology' reported.



In fact, according to them, warm-blooded birds need about 20 times more oxygen than cold-blooded reptiles, and have evolved a unique lung structure that allows for a high rate of gas exchange and high activity level. Their unusual complex is what supports the lung and prevent its collapse.



"This is fundamental to bird physiology. It's really strange that no one realised this before. The position of the thigh bone and muscles in birds is critical to their lung function, which in turn is what gives them enough lung capacity for flight," co-researcher Devon Quick said.



According to the team, the conclusions add to other evolving evidence that may finally force many paleontologists to reconsider their long-held belief that modern birds are the direct descendants of ancient, meat-eating dinosaurs.



Lead researcher John Ruben said: "It's really kind of amazing that after centuries of studying birds and flight we still didn't understand a basic aspect of bird biology.



"This discovery probably means that birds evolved on a parallel path alongside dinosaurs, starting that process before most dinosaur species even existed."