Gular skin can be very prominent, for example in members of the order
Suliformes (
gannets,
frigatebirds, and
cormorants) as well as in
pelicans (which likely share a common ancestor). In many species, the gular skin forms a flap, or
gular pouch, which is generally used to store fish and other prey while hunting. In cormorants, the gular skin is often brightly coloured, contrasting with the otherwise plain black or black-and-white appearance of the bird. This serves a function in social signalling, since it becomes more pronounced in breeding adults. with his gular sacs inflated.In frigatebirds, the gular skin (or
gular sac or
throat sac) is used dramatically. During courtship display, the male forces air into the sac, causing it to inflate over a period of 20 minutes into a startling huge red balloon. Because cormorants are closer relatives of
gannets and
anhingas (which have no prominent gular pouch) than of frigatebirds or pelicans, it can be seen that the gular pouch is either
plesiomorphic or was acquired by
parallel evolution. ==In other vertebrates==