Reinforced vertebrae allow plunge-diving seabirds to survive high-speed impact

A northern gannet scans the sea for fish from 100 feet (30 meters) in the air. Upon seeing a school, it pitches its body into a nosedive, somehow breaking the surface at 70 miles per hour (113 kilometers per hour) without breaking its neck. This daring maneuver seems to defy the laws of nature, but it's standard hunting behavior for plunge-diving seabirds.

Read it at Phys.org ↗

← Front page