eli5: rabies – It is said that birds cannot be infected with rabies, because they are not mammals. On the other hand they have a nervous system like us. Does the difference come from blood-brain barrier or what? It seems like they are not more complex than us.

Question

eli5: rabies – It is said that birds cannot be infected with rabies, because they are not mammals. On the other hand they have a nervous system like us. Does the difference come from blood-brain barrier or what? It seems like they are not more complex than us.

In: 22

Answer 1

Birds and mammals are not any more closely related than mammals and crocodiles. Just because they have two legs and a high degree of internal temperature regulation does not make them cladistically nor immunologically similar.