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Story summary
- Researchers at Yamaguchi University in Japan studied how cats land on their feet.
- Findings published in The Anatomical Record show that a cat's righting during a fall stems from the thoracic spine's flexibility, rotating 50 degrees.
- The lumbar region is stiffer and stabilizes the body.
- The study analyzed spines of five deceased cats.
- The results show that a flexible thoracic spine and a stiff lumbar region let cats maneuver in mid-air.
