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Arteriovenous anastomoses and vascularity in the feet of eiders and gulls (Aves)

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Summary

Arteriovenous anastomoses (AVAs) and vascularity were studied in the webbed feet of eiders and two species of gulls using an injection technique. The density of AVAs was high in the distal part of the web (85–126 AVAs per cm2) and decreased proximally. Anastomoses were also present in the feathered skin of the tibiotarsus (18–39 AVAs per cm2). A positive correlation was found between the density of AVAs and the vascularity of the skin. The role of the AVAs in temperature regulation is briefly discussed.

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  1. Institute of Comparative Anatomy, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100, Copenhagen OE, Denmark

    Uffe Midtgård

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  1. Uffe Midtgård
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Midtgård, U. Arteriovenous anastomoses and vascularity in the feet of eiders and gulls (Aves). Zoomorphology 96, 263–270 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00310291

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00310291

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