http://gallusdissection.blogspot.si/p/skeleton-and-bone.html - All animals have a skeleton to protect their internal organs and tissue and allow them to stand up straight. The avian skeletal system looks similar to those of their mammalian counterparts, but there are some important differences. Many of these differences relate to the bird’s need to be light enough to fly while still maintaining the needed body support.
Some important differences between the skeletons of birds and mammals are listed below:
Some of vertebral sections are fused together to provide the rigidity required for flight.
The Sternum provides a large surface area for the strong attachment of the main flight muscles.
The size of the head has been reduced significantly when compared to other species. A large head would make flying more difficult.
The tail has been reduced to a very short section of fused bones called the pygostyle (sometimes referred to as the Parson’s nose or the Pope’s nose).
The ribs have been modified by the inclusion of the uncinate process which refers to overlying flaps projecting off the ribs connecting ribs to the ones beside them. This gives strength to the rib cage so that it won’t collapse during flight.
The neck is quite long in most species to enable the bird to protect the delicate tissues of the brain from too much jarring when landing – the flexibility of the neck acts as a shock absorber.
The chicken bones are lighter because some bones in the body have air sacs. Some other bones, like those in the skull have spaces inside.
Another difference between chicken and mammal bones is that chicken bones have more minerals. Some of the minerals that chicken bones are rich with are calcium and phosphate. Mammal bones contain those minerals as well, but not as much as in chickens.
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