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

Special vertebrae keep diving seabirds from breaking their necks

"We see that the birds that plunge-dive have more robust vertebrae. They're thicker, wider, and also shorter, shaped more like a square."

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.

How Diving Seabirds Hit the Water at High Speed Without Breaking Their Necks

Seabirds that dive into water at high speed have unusually sturdy neck bones and extra contact surfaces that may help protect them on impact. A new study reveals structural features that complement the muscular support already known to stabilize their necks. Gannets can plunge from around 30 meters above the sea and reach reported speeds […]