GoKawiilResearchers model early tetrapod neck flexibility using sturgeon anatomy
Scientists dissected and mechanically tested the axial columns of juvenile lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) to measure bending and torsional properties of their notochord-based spines. The tests used a materials-testing machine with calibrated load and torque sensors to quantify how flexible these primitive vertebral structures are. The sturgeon served as a living stand-in for understanding the mechanics of early tetrapod necks, which lack fossil evidence of soft tissue.