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Evidence for avian intrathoracic air sacs in a new predatory dinosaur from Argentina.

Paul C PC Sereno, Ricardo N RN Martinez, Jeffrey A JA Wilson, David J DJ Varricchio, Oscar A OA Alcober, and Hans C E HC Larsson

PLoS One 3(9):e3303 (2008) PMID 18825273 PMCID 2553519

Living birds possess a unique heterogeneous pulmonary system composed of a rigid, dorsally-anchored lung and several compliant air sacs that operate as bellows, driving inspired air through the lung. Evidence from the fossil record for the origin and evolution of this system is extremely limited, because lungs do not fossilize and because the bellow-like air sacs in living birds only rarely penetrate (pneumatize) skeletal bone and thus leave a record of their presence.

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003303
Version: za2963e q8za9 q8zb8 q8zc4 q8zd2 q8zef q8zf7 q8zg2
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