Wild Things: Killer Whales, Spiders and Woodpeckers
Yellow saddle goatfish, mastodon ribs and more in this month’s summary of wildlife news
- By T.A. Frail, Joseph Stromberg, Erin Wayman and Sarah Zielinski
- Smithsonian magazine, January 2012
(Imagebroker.net / Photoshot)
How can a woodpecker repeatedly bang its head into a tree at 15 miles per hour without harming itself? Researchers from Beihang University in Beijing and elsewhere, using high-speed video, microscopic scanning and 3-D models, found that spongy spots in the skull, along with tissues of different sizes in the upper and lower beak, are crucial for absorbing shock. The work might be useful for designing helmets and other safety gear.
Additional Sources
“On Group Living and Collaborative Hunting in the Yellow Saddle Goatfish (Parupeneus cyclostomus),” Carine Strübin et al., Ethology, October 10, 2011
“Worthless Donations: Male Deception and Female Counter Play in a Nuptial Gift-Giving Spider,” Maria Albo et al., BMC Evolutionary Biology, November 14, 2011
“Pre-Clovis Mastodon Hunting 13,800 Years Ago at the Manis Site, Washington,” Michael R. Waters et al., Science, October 21, 2011
“Antarctic Killer Whales Make Rapid, Round-Trip Movements to Subtropical Waters: Evidence for Physiological Maintenance Migrations?” John W. Durban and Robert L. Pitman, Biology Letters, October 26, 2011
“Why Do Woodpeckers Resist Head Impact Injury: A Biomechanical Investigation,” Lizhen Wang et al., PLoS ONE, October 26, 2011
Comments (2)
love the site and the magazine. it imparts a great learning experience without having to leave home. I reccomend it for students in all grades.
Posted by bob marangelli on January 22,2012 | 06:05 AM
I just love learning about the mummies and egyptian life♥
Posted by Ashely on January 18,2012 | 01:50 PM