Re: [Re: Insulation does not = "Warm-blooded"]

["Larry Febo" <larryf@capital.net>]

-----Original Message-----
From: archosaur@usa.net <archosaur@usa.net>
To: david.marjanovic@gmx.at <david.marjanovic@gmx.at>
Cc: dinosaur@usc.edu <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Date: Saturday, April 14, 2001 4:51 PM
Subject: Re: [Re: Insulation does not = "Warm-blooded"]


>"David Marjanovic" <david.marjanovic@gmx.at> wrote:
>> > Ah, but as it restricts the ability to attain heat from the
environment,
>> so too does it restrict the ability to lose heat to the environment.
>>
>> AFAIK all endotherms except polar bears have methods for getting rid of
>> excess heat.
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++

>True enough; most ecotherms have ways of dealing with excess heat removal
>as well, though they aren't as sophisticated as mammalian sweat.

>This does lead me to a side question: How do birds (especially large
>active flyers like geese) dump excess heat? If I remember correctly, birds
>don't sweat.


I`ve heard that the more efficient "one way" respiration of birds is usefull
not only for supplying a rich amount of oxygen to the flight muscles, but
also serves quite well  to get rid of excess heat, especially during flight,
when the ribcage is being pumped in and out by the flight muscles.