Bangalore: There is no bird, mammal, reptile or fish, living or extinct, on planet Earth that is known to have an odd number of limbs. But one study says that parrots are passing on this “forbidden” phenotype, or physical trait, to using their beaks as a third limb to propel their bodies while climbing.
A group of researchers from the New York Institute of Technology came to the conclusion after studying the movements of six young adult pink-faced lovebirds (scientific name agapornis roseicolis, Small, pink-faced birds are native to southwestern Africa and belong to the parrot family.
What is important about the authors’ findings is that this is the first observation of tripadism (motion using three limbs) in birds, or in any vertebrate.
test resultthat have been peer-reviewed, Posted on Wednesday in Proceedings of the Royal Society BThe premier biological research journal of the Royal Society, the National Academy of Sciences of the United Kingdom.
Parrots belong to the Psittaciformes family, which includes parrots, cockatiels, budgies, ki, macaws, lorikeets and other birds that have curved beaks and strong legs. They also have two toes pointing forward and two backward, and move their feet alternately instead of jumping on both feet.
According to the authors, being Unable to use their feathers as grasping forelimbs, parrots have evolved to be resourceful climbers by their co-option. food system – head, beak, mouth and neck – to function As an additional ‘organ’.
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how the study was conducted
According to the authors, parrots have been reported to inadvertently use their beaks for movement. People kept as pets have been observed to use their beaks to climb surfaces or dangle from ropes and branches. However, this behavior was not yet documented in the scientific literature and is considered a “forbidden phenotype” or physiological trait, the study said.
The researchers set out to determine whether parrots use their beaks as hooks or anchors (‘dominant limbs’) to stabilize themselves while climbing, or whether they actually use their beaks with their own body weight. as an additional organ (‘propulsive organ’) to carry. and move it upwards.
For the study, the authors purchased six pink-faced lovebirds from a pet store and watched them climb and walk on the surface they had made. The plank was capable of rotating and bending at angles of up to 90°. It was equipped with sensors that determined the force exerted on it, and high-speed cameras were installed to capture the movement of the birds.
Researchers observed how the beak, limbs and tail were used while walking and climbing.
He observed that the birds did not touch the ground with their beak or tail while walking on a flat surface. He walked comfortably on two legs until the plank was bent at an angle of 45°.
IAs the bird moved along the 45° inclined plane, the tail was constantly in contact with plank surface, and the birds began to use their beaks for assistance. When the surface was perfectly steep, the birds constantly used their beaks to climb.
Plank surface data indicated that the tail did not exert any force, but the beak did exert enough force to propel the lovebird’s body.
The strength required to perform this motion indicates that parrots have appropriated their feeding apparatus and neck flexors to aid in movement, the authors say in their findings, adding that further studies are needed to determine whether parrots How often the beak is used during locomotion, and how and why this behavior has evolved in parrots and not in other birds.
Pentapedal movement in kangaroos and spider monkeys
While any vertebrate is naturally known to have an odd number of limbs, some animals have adopted tricks that involve using a part of their body as an additional limb.
For example, kangaroo As of 2014, use their tail as a “very capable foot” when walking pentapedally (using five legs, in this case, four legs and a tail). Study, they have a tail Powerful enough to assist in both resting and slow jumping, enables the kangaroo to propel itself away from its hind legs.
Similar behavior has been observed in spider monkeys, which use them Pretentious (able to hold things) to hanging completely from tree branches.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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