Natural History Wanderings

Gizmodo  has an article on how woodpeckers avoid brain damage.  Recent research at the Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology at Beihang University in China, studied the mechanical properties, microstructure and composition of the cranial bone and beak of the woodpecker. They discovered that compared to other birds that woodpeckers develop large amounts of a “plate-like spongy bone” that help them avoid damage.

“Specifically, it has a larger volume of structures called trabeculae, which are tiny spaces in the bone that form a mesh filled with bone marrow. The woodpecker’s trabeculae are also spaced very close together, which helps diffuse impact.”

Read full story at Gizmodo Why Woodpeckers Dont Get Brain Damage From Pecking All Day.