Thread by @StewartalsopIII

A #stablethread on the spine and all its majesty. This beautiful piece of evolution is truly a masterpiece to contemplate given its so important that one of the major classifications of life revolves around its existence:

Vertabrates (with spine) versus invertabrates (no spine)

If you want to read the uber thread where this thread came from then follow the link below and choose your own adventure:

https://twitter.com/StewartalsopIII/status/1316410348971479046

There are 24 movable joints in the spine. The spine is mainly there to protect your fragile nerves from damage, but it's also a huge part of how we can move in so many varied and intricate patterns. Evolution seems to build off of earlier advances and the spine is no exception.

The spine descends from something called a notochord which later evolved into the first form of vertebrate called a chordate. I often think about all the snakelike movements the spine can make, particularly when dancing. Its fun to think about how our genes hold memories of this.

One of the coolest things about the spine is that if you feel a sensation and use the chart below you can pinpoint exactly which vertebra the nerve delivering the sensation comes from.