Ornithere: Difference between revisions

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Their namesake are their eyestrils. Derived from the scent pits found in all beastworms, they are used for both sight and smell. The pupil is open to allow air in, and as this constraint prevented them from evolving lenses, they instead focus light using mirrors at the back of the eye. In effect, the entire eye is a highly efficient tapetum lucidum which reflects and focuses light into a photoreceptive patch on the inside next to the pupil hole. This causes them to appear to have white pupils, and if one were to look into a jewel-eyed sauceback's eyes, they would see exactly what it sees reflected back at them. The eye itself is stretched and squashed to focus and to push out old air, and the external part of it is featherless and rubbery. As having an open eye makes it prone to particles and small fauna becoming trapped inside, jewel-eyed saucebacks produce tears which they then remove from their eyes using the centrifugal force generated by shaking their heads like dogs.

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In most jewel-eyed saucebacks, the spiracles and microlungs are supported by chitinous shells called ceres. These are inherited from their harnessback ancestors and allow them to breathe more strongly than most other saucebacks.

⚫

The legs and outer toe bear long aerodynamic feathers similar to those of terran birds. They can be moved independently of the limbs they are attached to, and when not in use they are usually folded upwards. In some flighted species, the wings are slotted to allow for thermal gliding.

===Legs and Hips===

⚫

Flight-capable species have large keels derived from the front protrusion of their cephalopelvis, which supports their massive wing muscles. Their hips are also more flexible, as necessitated by the use of their legs as wings, though this comes at the cost that the protrusion which supports the pillar-erect posture of other species is tilted upwards, therefore requiring them to use more energy to stand upright.

Like other modern saucebacks, the legs of jewel-eyed saucebacks appear digitigrade or unguligrade in relation to Earth animals. However, in reality, there is no true distinction between "leg", "foot", and "digit", and their two toes are the result of the limb itself branching. Regardless, for ease of understanding, terminology generally used for tetrapod anatomy will be used here.

⚫

The legs and outer toe bear long aerodynamic feathers similar to those of terran birds. They can be moved independently of the limbs they are attached to, and when not in use they are usually folded upwards. Argusraptors and ophreys have the "wing toe" raised off the ground for monodactyl running and preventing the long feathers from dragging on the ground, respectively. In some flighted species, the wings are slotted to allow for thermal gliding.

⚫

In most jewel-eyed saucebacks, the spiracles and microlungs are supported by chitinous shells called ceres. These are inherited from their harnessback ancestors and allow them to breathe more strongly than most other saucebacks.

There are two patagia on the leading edge of the limb, which streamline it for gliding or flight and obscure the anatomy underneath. One stretches from the ankle to the knee, while the other stretches from the knee to the base of the neck.

⚫

Flight-capable species have large keels derived from the front protrusion of their cephalopelvis, which supports their massive wing muscles. Their hips are also more flexible, as necessitated by the use of their legs as wings, though this comes at the cost that the protrusion which supports the pillar-erect posture of other species is tilted upwards, therefore requiring them to use more energy to stand upright.

===Mouth Anatomy and Feeding===

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 Their namesake are their eyestrils. Derived from the scent pits found in all beastworms, they are used for both sight and smell. The pupil is open to allow air in, and as this constraint prevented them from evolving lenses, they instead focus light using mirrors at the back of the eye. In effect, the entire eye is a highly efficient tapetum lucidum which reflects and focuses light into a photoreceptive patch on the inside next to the pupil hole. This causes them to appear to have white pupils, and if one were to look into a jewel-eyed sauceback's eyes, they would see exactly what it sees reflected back at them. The eye itself is stretched and squashed to focus and to push out old air, and the external part of it is featherless and rubbery. As having an open eye makes it prone to particles and small fauna becoming trapped inside, jewel-eyed saucebacks produce tears which they then remove from their eyes using the centrifugal force generated by shaking their heads like dogs.
+In most jewel-eyed saucebacks, the spiracles and microlungs are supported by chitinous shells called ceres. These are inherited from their harnessback ancestors and allow them to breathe more strongly than most other saucebacks.
-The legs and outer toe bear long aerodynamic feathers similar to those of terran birds. They can be moved independently of the limbs they are attached to, and when not in use they are usually folded upwards. In some flighted species, the wings are slotted to allow for thermal gliding.
+===Legs and Hips===
-Flight-capable species have large keels derived from the front protrusion of their cephalopelvis, which supports their massive wing muscles. Their hips are also more flexible, as necessitated by the use of their legs as wings, though this comes at the cost that the protrusion which supports the pillar-erect posture of other species is tilted upwards, therefore requiring them to use more energy to stand upright.
+Like other modern saucebacks, the legs of jewel-eyed saucebacks appear digitigrade or unguligrade in relation to Earth animals. However, in reality, there is no true distinction between "leg", "foot", and "digit", and their two toes are the result of the limb itself branching. Regardless, for ease of understanding, terminology generally used for tetrapod anatomy will be used here.
+The legs and outer toe bear long aerodynamic feathers similar to those of terran birds. They can be moved independently of the limbs they are attached to, and when not in use they are usually folded upwards. Argusraptors and ophreys have the "wing toe" raised off the ground for monodactyl running and preventing the long feathers from dragging on the ground, respectively. In some flighted species, the wings are slotted to allow for thermal gliding.
-In most jewel-eyed saucebacks, the spiracles and microlungs are supported by chitinous shells called ceres. These are inherited from their harnessback ancestors and allow them to breathe more strongly than most other saucebacks.
+There are two patagia on the leading edge of the limb, which streamline it for gliding or flight and obscure the anatomy underneath. One stretches from the ankle to the knee, while the other stretches from the knee to the base of the neck.
+Flight-capable species have large keels derived from the front protrusion of their cephalopelvis, which supports their massive wing muscles. Their hips are also more flexible, as necessitated by the use of their legs as wings, though this comes at the cost that the protrusion which supports the pillar-erect posture of other species is tilted upwards, therefore requiring them to use more energy to stand upright.
 ===Mouth Anatomy and Feeding===

Ornithere: Difference between revisions

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