Life in Newburgh on Ythan

By Talpa

A stiff neck!

All mammals except manatees and sloths have seven cervical (neck) vertebrae, whatever the length of the neck. Yes, that includes the giraffe! In whales the cervical vertebrae are typically fused, an adaptation that provides great stability during fast swimming at the expense of not being able to easily turn their heads. These fused vertebrae are from a porpoise which I found washed up on Newburgh beach.

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