Well, no, it was not trial and error that led to this discovery. Rather ornithologists noted that unlike self contained mammalian lungs, bird lungs are linked to an interconnected network of air sac that extends throughout the bird's abdominal cavity, and penetrates into the spine and the long bones of the limbs. So just like humans can be ventilated through a treacheal tube because it is connected to the self contained lung of mammals, a bird can suck air through any opening made into its interconnected air sacs.
It is to illustrate this dramatic difference between simple mammalian lungs and complex bird respiratory system that ornithologists pulled the stunt of cutting a small notch on a chicken's wing, and taping its mouth and nose and have it breath through the notch on its wing.
It is to illustrate this dramatic difference between simple mammalian lungs and complex bird respiratory system that ornithologists pulled the stunt of cutting a small notch on a chicken's wing, and taping its mouth and nose and have it breath through the notch on its wing.
