Bovines graze on vast areas of grass. An individual bovine's nuchal ligament repeatedly manages gravity's strong pull on a heavy cow head as it grazes with its head down for up to 11 hours per day. neck ligaments are ideal for flexible load management.
The bovine nuchal ligament, running from the head to the first 1/3 of the spine, is a strong yet yielding rod-shaped organ that pulls the bovine's head into the upright position. It comprises collagen (strength) and elastin (stretch) proteins and has a helical interwoven design. The unique micro- and macrostructure combination could benefit designers or engineers looking for new ways to manage heavy loads.
