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‘Magic range’ for animal propulsion appears to be 30 to 60 degrees

flying bird with winds spread

When it comes to animal propulsion, there are limits that can’t be pushed or breakdowns will occur, according to an unusual study from a team that includes a Texas A&M University at Galveston researcher.

The team narrowed animal subjects down to 59 species for the study, and concentrated on ways each one is able to propel itself – through air, land or water.

One common trait they found was each creature being able to “bend” its means of propulsion, but only to a certain point. The team found that a 30 to 60-degree angle seems to be the magic range of how far animal propulsion can bend.

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