Woodpeckers and bighorn sheep are two kinds of animals that one would think should have a constant concussion. A woodpecker’s impact on a tree is 1000 times gravitational acceleration (flyingcircus). This great of an impact would be assumed to leave the woodpecker dead or unconscious; at least that is what would occur in humans. Bighorn sheep slam their horns together during mating season and they do not drop to the ground. These animals have unique adaptations that allow them to slam their beak against a tree or bang their horns together and not drop dead. Concussions in humans are caused by events that make the brain hit the inside of the skull (humanillnesses). This is why a human get concussions from being jolted around in car accidents or sports injuries in which collisions are involved. A woodpecker is able to peck the tree so vigorously because the woodpecker’s brain is attached so well to the skull. Since it is attached so well to the skull there is little movement of the brain. There is also less room in a woodpecker’s head for the brain to move. Scientists have also discovered that the bone of a woodpecker is spongy and the lower and upper beak are different lengths decreasing impact (globalpost). It is necessary for woodpeckers to have these adaptations because by pecking trees they search for insects to eat, create storage, and mate. Similar to a woodpecker, bighorn sheep are animals that would also be likely to receive concussions. Bighorn sheep have three ways of protecting themselves. The first way they are protected is the fact that their horns bend. Since their horns bend this draws out the time of the collision and reduces the force. The second way bighorn sheep are protected against concussions is the fact that their skull bones shift and rotate around the sutures. The skull is double-layered and the sutures are in a honeycomb pattern. This makes the sutures spring-like, this helps reduce the force when the sheep collide (blueplanetbiome). The third adaptation bighorn sheep have to prevent concussions is that most of the energy from the collision goes to their neck muscles. Bighorn sheep have developed very strong neck muscles. These are the adaptations that animals have developed. These unique adaptations are the reason that a concussion is very unlikely.
Desert Bighorn Sheep. Blue Planet Biome, 2002. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert_bighorn_sheep.htm.
This website is all about Bighorn Sheep. It explains their mating ritual which is why they bang their horns together as well as why they do not get injuries. It also discusses their habitat and place in their ecosystem. This website was useful to me because it helped explain the honeycomb pattern of the sheep’s sutures. The article I feel is pretty reliable. It is written by Blue Planet Biome and they assist in the Planet Earth films.
Advameg Inc. , . "Concussions." Human Diseases and Conditions. Cank-con, 2011. Web. 26 Nov. 2011.