Biomedical research focusing on physiological, morphological, behavioral, and other aspects of development has long depended upon the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) as a key animal model that is presumed to be typical of birds and generally applicable to mammals. Yet, the modern chicken in its many forms is the result of artificial selection more intense than almost any other domesticated animal. A consequence of great variation in genotype and phenotype is that some breeds have inherent aberrant physiological and morphological traits that may show up relatively early in development (e.g., hypertension, hyperglycemia, and limb defects in the broiler chickens). While such traits can be useful as models of specific diseases, this high degree of specialization can color general experimental results and affect their translational value. Against this background, in this review we first consider the characteristics that make an animal model attractive for developmental research (e.g., accessibility, ease of rearing, size, fecundity, development rates, genetic variation, etc.). We then explore opportunities presented by the embryo to adult continuum of alternative bird models, including quail, ratites, songbirds, birds of prey, and corvids. We conclude by indicating that expanding developmental studies beyond the chicken model to include additional avian groups will both validate the chicken model as well as potentially identify even more suitable avian models for answering questions applicable to both basic biology and the human condition.

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Prenatal hypoxia modifies cardiac performance in adult bobwhite quail, assessed by pressure‐volume loop analysis Josele Flores‐Santin1 joselefloressantin@my.unt.edu, Warren Burggren1 Burggren@unt.edu1University of North Texas, Biology department, 1155 Union circle, Denton Texas U.S. The consequences of early embryonic stressors and how they affect subsequent adult life reflects the concept of “fetal programming”. This programming potentially produces functional anomalies in major organs including the lungs, the kidneys and the heart, based on studies of a limited number of “traditional” animal models for fetal programming. The aim of this project is to use a non‐traditional model ‐ the rapidly maturing bobwhite quail ‐ to study the effects of embryonic stressors as they manifest themselves in adults, with an emphasis on the working heart. The fast development along with the small size of quail makes them a potentially important alternative animal model to study cardiovascular physiology and the changes that prenatal stressors produce on it. In this study we submitted quail eggs to hypoxia (15%). This treatment accelerated hatching by one day (26±0.11) in comparison to controls (27.6±.12). The treatment also induced a lower hatching mass (6.9±1.0) than controls (5.9±0.1). Pressure‐volume loop SVL catheter technology was used to evaluate cardiovascular performance in adult birds (controls and following embryonic hypoxia). Hypoxic birds presented a phenotype resembling mammalian left ventricular hypertrophy, with a decreased cardiac output (38660±817), ejection fraction (38.8±0.4) and stroke work (11750±376). We conclude that bobwhite quail are a viable alternative model to study cardiovascular fetal programming. Grant Funding Source: Supported by NSF & CoMeCyT/CONACYT