  The regular structures of a generic 4D symplectic map with a mixed phase
space are organized by one-parameter families of elliptic 1D-tori. Such
families show prominent bends, gaps, and new branches. We explain these
features in terms of bifurcations of the families when crossing a resonance.
For these bifurcations no external parameter has to be varied. Instead, the
longitudinal frequency, which varies along the family, plays the role of the
bifurcation parameter. As an example we study two coupled standard maps by
visualizing the elliptic and hyperbolic 1D-tori in a 3D phase-space slice,
local 2D projections, and frequency space. The observed bifurcations are
consistent with analytical predictions previously obtained for
quasi-periodically forced oscillators. Moreover, the new families emerging from
such a bifurcation form the skeleton of the corresponding resonance channel.
