Ornithere: Difference between revisions

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Ornitheres have most of the same anatomy of other modern saucebacks, but there are many important differences.

~~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 you were to look into an ornithere's eyes, you would see exactly what it sees reflected back at you. 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, ornitheres produce tears which they then remove from their eyes using the centrifugal force generated by shaking their heads like wet dogs.

The most obvious is 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 you were to look into an ornithere's eyes, you would see exactly what it sees reflected back at you. 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, ornitheres produce tears which they then remove from their eyes using the centrifugal force generated by shaking their heads like wet dogs.

In basal ornitheres, the spiracles and microlungs are partially supported by chitinous shells called ceres. These are inherited from their placopulmonate ancestors and allow them to breathe more strongly than most other saucebacks.

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 Ornitheres have most of the same anatomy of other modern saucebacks, but there are many important differences.
-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 you were to look into an ornithere's eyes, you would see exactly what it sees reflected back at you. 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, ornitheres produce tears which they then remove from their eyes using the centrifugal force generated by shaking their heads like wet dogs.
+The most obvious is 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 you were to look into an ornithere's eyes, you would see exactly what it sees reflected back at you. 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, ornitheres produce tears which they then remove from their eyes using the centrifugal force generated by shaking their heads like wet dogs.
 In basal ornitheres, the spiracles and microlungs are partially supported by chitinous shells called ceres. These are inherited from their placopulmonate ancestors and allow them to breathe more strongly than most other saucebacks.

Ornithere: Difference between revisions

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