Comparative Anatomy of the Scleral Rings in High Flying and Diving Birds
Author: Navpreet Kaur
Faculty Supervisor: Jaime Chaves
Department: Biology
Many species have evolved specialized structures to combat harsh conditions in their environment. In birds, the scleral ring is used to protect cornea deformation as a result of changes in pressure when they encounter different environmental conditions. However, there is little known about the function of this structure in diving birds. I studied the relationship between the structure of the scleral ring in high flying and diving birds, using research papers focusing on Mallards, Black Kites, the King Penguins, and Albatrosses to compare their morphologies. The results of my findings will indicate that the functions of the structures in high flying and diving birds are the same, showing that the structures evolved independent of one another through convergent evolution. The findings highlight the lack of data and give more information about the function of the scleral ring by comparative anatomy.