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

Image: Phys.org
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- 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,…