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Re: surface/volume ratio and water loss in smallest amniotes



The following paper requires payment to access, but would certainly answer a 
few questions about 
water loss in small birds (especially hummingbirds):

Robert C. Lasiewski  1964. Body Temperatures, Heart and Breathing Rate, and 
Evaporative Water 
Loss in Hummingbirds. Physiological Zoology, Vol. 37, No. 2 (Apr., 1964), pp. 
212-223 
http://www.jstor.org/pss/30152332

This next one is freely available and suggests that for pigeons at least, 
cutaneous water loss 
outstrips respiratory water loss while in flight (although the reverse is true 
at rest).

Gilead Michaeli and Berry Pinshow 2001. Respiratory water loss in free-flying 
pigeons. Journal of 
Experimental Biology 204:3803-3814
http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/204/21/3803.pdf

I'm not sure how this research would translate to non-avian creatures though, 
given that avian 
integument and respiration is quite different to that of other creatures.

-- 
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Dann Pigdon
GIS Specialist                         Australian Dinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia               http://home.alphalink.com.au/~dannj
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