86-6 Sat Jan 2 Anatomy, variation, and asymmetry of the bronchial tree in the African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) Lawson, AB*; Hedrick, BP; Echols, MS; Schachner, ER; Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA; Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA; Mobile Avian Surgical Services, The Medical Center for Birds, Oakley CA; Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA Adam.B.Lawson@gmail.com https://www.theropoda.com/
The bronchial tree of the avian respiratory system is an elaborate, interconnected network of roughly parallel and unidirectionally ventilated air conduits. Descriptions of bronchial tree organization and the connected air sacs of the lung have traditionally relied on dissection and corrosion casts of their negative (air-filled) space. The bronchial trees of five deceased African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) were segmented from micro-computed tomography scans into three-dimensional (3D) surface models and assessed for structural variation. Additionally, select quantitative metrics from the primary bronchi and major secondary branches of 11 specimens were acquired and statistically analyzed for intraspecific variation and left-right asymmetry. Analysis of the 3D reconstructions revealed variation in the number and distribution of secondary bronchi with consistent direct connections to specific respiratory air sacs. A single reconstruction of the tertiary bronchi (parabronchi) network revealed indirect connections to all but two of the nine total air sacs. Statistical analysis revealed significant left-right asymmetries between the primary bronchi and the origins of the first four secondary bronchi (the ventrobronchi). This work advances our understanding of a widely studied avian taxon and represents an enhanced quantitative method for assessing avian gross pulmonary anatomy at an unprecedented level of detail.