Air sac cannulas are indicated in birds with upper respiratory obstruction or for ventilation during surgical procedures involving the head and neck. Proper technique, knowledge of potential ...

Figure 1 | Air sacs minimize the energy soaring birds need for wing muscles. Schachner et al. 1 investigated the role of air sacs (called the subpectoral diverticula) in bird flight.

An air-filled sac within the birds' lungs is believed to increase the force the birds use to power flight muscles while soaring. Skip to main content. Your source for the latest research news.

The reason you’ll want to keep the bird upright is because birds have air sacs on the sides of their bodies. Similarly to lungs, these air sacs inflate and deflate to breathe, and presumably can ...

Pterosaurs and some dinosaurs also have hollow bones, though it’s not entirely clear that these features allowed space for air sacs. One study published in 2022 found that some of the oldest known ...

Today, that invasive air-sac system is known only in birds. Birds and crocodilians are archosaurs, the living relatives of non-avian dinosaurs and pterosaurs.

Air sacs, also found in modern birds, helped sauropods take in more oxygen and keep their bodies cool. These features were vital for surviving in tough environments and growing to extreme sizes.

Like many modern birds, Tyrannosaurus, Apatosaurus and other giants had complex networks of air sacs that grew out of their throats and lungs and into their bones.

Air sacs, also found in modern birds, helped sauropods take in more oxygen and keep their bodies cool. These features were vital for surviving in tough environments and growing to extreme sizes.