Keel (bird anatomy)
A keel or carina (pl.: carinae) in
wings
too fast to be practical.
Historically, the presence or absence of a pronounced keel structure was used as a broad classification of birds into two orders: Carinatae (from carina, "keel"), having a pronounced keel; and ratites (from ratis, "raft" – referring to the flatness of the sternum), having a subtle keel structure or lacking one entirely. However, this classification has become disused as evolutionary studies have shown that many flightless birds have evolved from flighted birds.
See also
- Bird skeleton
- Ornithology
References
- Cummins, Jim (April 1, 1996). "Anatomy of Flight". Retrieved January 31, 2005.
- Ramel, Gordon "The Anatomy of Birds". Earth-Life Web Productions. Retrieved January 31, 2005.