| Bird Bills as Thermoregulatory Organs |
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The toco toucan (Ramphastos toco), the largest member of the toucan family, possesses the largest beak relative to body size of all birds. This exaggerated feature has received various interpretations, from serving as a sexual ornament to a refined adaptation for feeding. However, it also represents a significant surface area for heat exchange. We have demonstrated the remarkable capacity of the toco toucan to regulate heat distribution by modifying blood flow, using the bill as a transient thermal radiator. Our results indicate that the toucan's bill is, relative to size, one of the largest thermal windows in the animal kingdom, rivalling elephant's ears in its potency to radiate body heat. |
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Publications
Tattersall, G.
J., Andrade, D.V., and Abe, A.S. 2009. Heat Exchange from the Toucan Bill Reveals a Controllable Vascular Thermal Radiator. Science. 325: 468-470. Science Link 
Supporting Online Material, Movie S1, Movie S2
See also:
Scott, G.R., Cadena,
V., Tattersall, G.J., and Milsom, W.K. . 2008. Body
temperature depression and peripheral heat loss
accompany the metabolic and ventilatory responses
to hypoxia in low and high altitude birds. Journal
of Experimental Biology, 211: 1326-1335.
Symonds, M.R.E. and Tattersall, G. J. 2010. Geographic variation in bill size across bird species provides evidence for Allen's rule. American Naturalist. 176: 0-0. 
DOI: 10.1086/653666: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/653666
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