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Functional Morphology of the Hyoid Apparatus in Old World Suboscines (Eurylaimides): 2. Functional Analysis

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Abstract

The structure and functioning of the hyoid and jaw apparatus of birds are closely related to the features of feeding behavior and diet. Analyzing these characteristics together, we can reveal the potential capabilities of this biomechanical node as a whole. Such a complex analysis of the hyoid apparatus of the Old World suboscine passerine birds (Eurylaimides) is presented in this paper. For the birds of each family (Pittidae, Eurylaimidae, and Philepittidae), a functional interpretation of the detected morphological features is proposed (Part 1). Their tongues are highly mobile, this being necessary for performing a variety of specific tasks for each group. The pittas’ tongue is adapted to fast wide-amplitude movements, and it helps in controlling the object at any point of their relatively long and narrow beak. The fleshy tongue of carnivorous broadbills (Eurylaiminae and Smithornithinae) and Pseudocalyptomeninae performs complex manipulations with various objects in its wide bulky beak. The hyoid apparatus of the frugivorous broadbills (Calyptomeninae) helps to mash soft fruits and to push large and hard fruits inside the pharynx. The jaw apparatus of the asities (Philepittidae) is generally adapted to feeding on relatively small berries, which these birds can squash, using a specific wide platform at the base of the tongue. To consume liquid food, asities use the rostral part of the tongue rolled into a tube.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author is grateful to L.P. Korzun for the fruitful discussion of the biomechanical features of the mouth apparatus of birds and for the critical remarks, as well as to F.Ya. Dzerzhinskii, consultations with whom greatly helped in the course of this study.

I am also grateful to M.V. Kalyakin (Zoological Museum of the Moscow State University); E.N. Kurochkin and N.V. Zelenkov (Borisyak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences); J.-P. Gasc and Ch. Erard (Museum of Natural History of Paris, France); J. Fjeldså (Zoological Museum of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark); S. van der Miju and M. Fokkens (Biodiversity Center of the Natural History Museum of Leiden, the Netherlands), and J. Cooper and J. White (Museum of Natural History, Tring, UK) for the material provided and the opportunity to work within the museum walls.

Funding

This study was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project nos. 12-04-01440-a and 15-04-07407-a), and valuable information on the trophic behavior of broadbills and pittas were also obtained owing to the financial support of the Russian Science Foundation (project no. 14-50-00029).

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  1. Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, 119234, Moscow, Russia

    E. N. Zubkova

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Correspondence to E. N. Zubkova.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. This article does not contain any studies involving animals or human participants performed by any of the authors.

LETTER DESIGNATIONS

Muscles and their portions: Bm is the branchiomandibular muscle (m. branchiomandibularis), Bmc and Bmr are its caudal and rostral portions (m. branchiomandibularis caudalis and rostralis), Cga and Cgp are the anterior and posterior ceratoglossus muscles (m. ceratoglossus anterior and posterior), Ch is the ceratohyoid muscle (m. ceratohyoideus), Gg is the genioglossus muscle (m. genioglossus), Dm is the depressor of the mandible (m. depressor mandibulae), Hg is the hypoglossus muscle (m. hypoglossus), Mh is the mylohyoid muscle (m. mylohyoideus), Sh and Sth are the serpihyoid and stylohyoid muscles (m. serpihyoideus and m. stylohyoideus), and Th and Trh are the thyreohyoid and tracheohyoid muscles (m. thyreohyoideus and m. traheohyoideus).

Skeleton: Bas is the basihyale, and Br is the horn branchiale.

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Translated by N. Smolina

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Zubkova, E.N. Functional Morphology of the Hyoid Apparatus in Old World Suboscines (Eurylaimides): 2. Functional Analysis. Biol Bull Russ Acad Sci 46, 916–928 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1062359019080193

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