hollow bones
Lightweight flight adaptation
Hollow bones are bones with air-filled cavities rather than solid marrow, found in birds and some dinosaurs.
The structure reduces weight while maintaining strength, enabling flight.
The term appears in biology and paleontology: Hollow bones are one adaptation that makes bird skeletons remarkably light.
Figuratively rare, but may describe fragility or lightness.
- lightweightLacking mass or importance
- light as a featherNearly without mass
- avianOf or concerning birds
- flightAerial journey by aircraft
- taking flightBeginning to fly
skeleton · marrow · pneumatic · bird · skeletal system · feathers · wings · airy · fragile · delicate · pterosaur · air sacs · air pockets · soaring · skull · calcium · porous · brittle
- animal featuresbeaks, scales, antlers, fur, ears
- bird traitsfeathered, plumed, plumage, plumaged, beaky
- dinosaur bodyskull, skeleton, tail, teeth, claws
- bird anatomybeak, feathers, wings, tail feathers, wing feathers
- skeletal featuresvertebrae, rib cage, spinal column, vertebral column, shoulder blade
- pterosaurspterosaur, pterosaurs, pterodactyl, pterodactyls, pteranodon