Slow, cold reptiles may breathe like energetic birds

One-way airflow, thought to exist only in birds, may keep several reptiles going

alligator with a  bird on its head

CHASING BREATH  Alligators don’t fly, but a late-night notion led a researcher to show gators and birds share a breathing strategy, raising questions about other reptiles’ lungs.

chas53/iStockphoto (bird); GlobalP/iStockphoto (alligator)

Colleen Farmer was alone one night dissecting an alligator.