A Quantitative and Comparative Analysis of the Muscle Architecture of the Forelimb Myology of Diurnal Birds of Prey (Order Accipitriformes and Falconiformes)

Flight is a key feature in the evolution of birds. Wing anatomy reflects many aspects of avian biology such as flight ability. However, our knowledge of the flight musculature has many gaps still, particularly for the distal wing. Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate the form–function relationship of the forelimb myology of birds to understand the role of individual muscles during flight. Dissections of six species of birds of prey...