Special vertebrae keep diving seabirds from breaking their necks

Reinforced vertebrae allow plunge-diving seabirds to survive high-speed impacts, according to a new study.

A northern gannet scans the sea for fish from 100 feet in the air. Upon seeing a school, it pitches its body into a nosedive, somehow breaking the surface at 70 miles 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.