A turkey's wishbone — the one you and your siste

A turkey's wishbone — the one you and your sister pull from opposite ends to see who gets the middle nodule — is formed by the fusion of the bird's two collarbones. Also called a furcular, the bone serves as the connecting point for muscles and a brace for the wings. During the bird's flapping (yes, turkeys can fly at a clip of 50 mph in short bursts), the wishbone acts as a spring to store and release energy. This elasticity is also the reason snapping a wishbone before it dries is so tough. Turns out, the wishbone is more than a fun game for Turkey Day; it also serves as a reminder that birds evolved from a group of dinosaurs. Researchers have found that the wishbone dates back more than 150 million years to a group of meat-eating dinosaurs that includes T. rex and Velociraptor and Turkeysaurus.