Tongue and Glottis Morphology of <scp> <i>Cathartes aura</i> </scp> and the Secret of Its Functional Adaptation

ABSTRACT Cathartes aura , commonly known as the Turkey vulture, is a scavenger bird belonging to the family Cathartidae that is widely distributed throughout the Americas and classified as a New World vulture. Its diet primarily consists of small‐sized carcasses, predominantly of wild animals. These dietary patterns, combined with the vulture's behaviour, suggest that food selection may be influenced by competition with more dominant species during disputes over resources. The potential link between gustatory experiences and tongue morphology remains largely unknown. Through macroscopic analysis, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, we identified that the tongue of Cathartes aura is short, non‐protrusible, and supported by the hyobranchial apparatus, which is composed of long, thin and articulated bones. The tongue has an elongated and concave shape and possesses mechanical papillae arranged along its lateral margins. The dorsal regions of the body, root, glottis and laryngeal mound revealed a significant presence of tubuloalveolar salivary glands, connective tissue, muscle fibres oriented in multiple directions, and bone structures, in addition to vascular and nervous components. No taste buds were visualised. The anatomical adaptations of the tongue in Cathartes aura represent an important functional mechanism, which optimises its feeding strategy and reduces the exposure time spent on carcasses.