The carotid and vertebral arteries in the neck of most animals, including owls and humans, are delicate and fragile structures. In humans, such injuries can be common: whiplash sustained in a car accident, a back-and-forth jarring roller coaster ride or even a chiropractic maneuver gone wrong.
Blood vessel tears caused by sudden twisting motions produce clots that can break off, sometimes causing an embolism or stroke that could prove fatal. Owls, on the other hand, can rotate their necks up to degrees in either direction without damaging the vessels running below their heads, and they can do it without cutting off blood supply to their brains. Researchers Philippe Gailloud right and Fabian de Kok-Mercado left examine the bone and vascular structure of an owl that died of natural causes.
If humans attempted to turn their heads as quickly or as far as owls do, artery linings would tear, causing blood clots to form and potentially leading to a stroke not to mention broken necks, explained study author Dr.
Philippe Gailloud in a statement. Through medical imaging, researchers were able to study the bone and vascular structure in the heads and necks of a dozen owls that had died from natural causes. Let technology enhance your outdoor adventures with these apps recommended by Forest Preserve District interpretive naturalists. Read More. They found a number of previously undiscovered and unique traits, de Kok-Mercado told OurAmazingPlanet.
For one, the owls' neck bones, or vertebrae, contain holes that are much larger than those found in other birds or humans. In humans, the hole in the vertebra is about the same size as the artery, but in owls the hole is about 10 times larger than the artery, according to the study, published today Jan.
These holes, or canals, likely hold air sacks meant to cushion the twisting motion of the head, de Kok-Mercado said. This gives the cord-like vessels some slack when the bird twists its head.
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