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Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 199, Issue 9 2035-2039, Copyright © 1996 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Homing experiments on pigeons subjected to bilateral destruction of the paratympanic organ

F Giannessi, B Fattori, R Ruffoli and A Gagliardo

The paratympanic organ (PO) in birds is a specialised sensory organ whose function is still unknown. G. Vitali, who first described the PO from observations of the behaviour of PO-lesioned pigeons, proposed that this organ was needed to maintain normal wing muscle function and called it the 'organ of flight'. This interpretation has since been disputed. To solve this controversy and to test whether the PO is involved in flight and navigation, we performed release tests on homing pigeons subjected to bilateral destruction of this organ. No impairment of either flight or navigation was observed in the lesioned pigeons.




© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1996