Let’s imagine for a moment that our head was a basketball and that our neck was a toothpick. Trying to turn your head 270º would be a sure recipe for unbearable pain at the cervical level. However, the evolution, as if of a biomechanical engineer In this case, he has designed a custom neck so that it can withstand this movement: that of owls.
When we analyze the necks of both species, the differences are more than notable. Owls’ necks have more cervical vertebrae than ours, their cervical joints are larger and more flexible, their cervical muscles are stronger and arranged in a more efficient way. Additionally, and this is also very important, the network of blood vessels and nerves in owls is arranged differently.
And while we – humans – have seven cervical vertebrae, owls can have up to fourteen. This greater number of bones provides them with greater flexibility and a greater level of movement.
Their vertebrae are coupled to each other through different joints than ours, which allows them to reach a greater degree of movement. The owls’ neurovascular network, made up of blood vessels and nerves, stretches and contracts as the owl turns its head, ensuring a constant supply of blood and oxygen to the brain.
Owls are nocturnal hunting birds and need to have almost 360-degree peripheral vision. By turning their heads, they can follow their prey with their eyes without having to move their entire body and go unnoticed. In addition, it allows them to hear better, since their ears are located asymmetrically on the head, which gives them an excellent ability to locate sounds.
Evolution has played against us
Our brain, that gelatinous mass that controls everything we do, is extremely sensitive and needs firm support and adequate protection, which is provided by a strong skull. If we could turn our head 270 degrees, the blood vessels that supply our brain would become extremely twisted and compromise the delivery of oxygen to the brain, which is why we could suffer a stroke.
Our spine is designed to support our body and protect the spinal cord. If we managed to turn our head beyond 200 degrees, the cervical vertebrae would be subjected to enormous tension, which could cause herniated discs and cervical pain.
On the other hand, our neck muscles are not prepared to perform such extreme movements, since it would cause enormous tension in the muscle fibers and the risk that they could break.
At Román Paladino, evolution has shaped us to be what we are and the ability to turn our heads 270 degrees was not one of his priorities. For their part, owls are a fascinating example of how evolution can develop extremely specialized biomechanical solutions to solve specific environmental and behavioral challenges of a species.
#owl #turn #superhuman
