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A Functional Study of Papillae and Pads in the Foot of Passerines, Parrots, and Owls
Author(s) -
Lennerstedt Ingvar
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
zoologica scripta
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.204
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1463-6409
pISSN - 0300-3256
DOI - 10.1111/j.1463-6409.1975.tb00723.x
Subject(s) - biology , anatomy , whorl (mollusc) , passerine , dorsum , dermis , dermal papillae , zoology , hair follicle , genus , microbiology and biotechnology
The pattern of pads, the morphology and microscopical anatomy of the papillae, the structure of dermis, and the attachment of the skin to the skeletal elements were studied in species representing Passeriformes, Psittaciformes, and Strigiformes. Functional observations were made while dissecting fresh material. The secondary insertion of the flexor muscles on the skin structures is discussed. The papillae in the pad of the passerine species is connected to a plate mainly composed of the horny cells of stratum corneum; only the top of the papillae are free to penetrate roughnesses in the bark of branches or twigs. The parrot has papillae free from one another and often supplied with Herbst corpuscles, indicating touch function. The owl has also free papillae, but these are supported by densely packed collagenous fibres in the dermis, forming a plate functionally comparable to the horny plate of the passerine. The pads and folds in the passerine are attached to the skeletal elements, both directly by collagenous fibre bundles and indirectly by the large scales on the dorsal side of the digit, which are firmly anchored to the phalanges. The pads in the parrot and the owl are directly attached by collagenous fibres to the skeletal elements. The structure of the pad and the papillae correlate with the habits: in the passerine, to jump and fly between branches; in the parrot, to move sluggishly on branches and manipulate food with the feet; and in the owl, to perch on branches and grasp prey.