Many of us have taken part in the Thanksgiving ritual of holding one end of the turkey wishbone while a family member holds the other, making a wish, and pulling to see whose side breaks off the larger piece. Whoever wins supposedly has their wish come true. But how many people really know what the wishbone is and what its function is inside the bird? If you’d like to annoy, I mean inform, your family and friends, here’s Five Ways to be a Nerd This Thanksgiving!
Usually when a turkey is carved, people start by cutting into the white meat of the bird’s breast. When this happens, you can say, “Did you know, you’re cutting into the meat on either side of the large bony projection of the sternum called the keel? The sternum is the same bone as the breastbone in mammals, however in most birds it has a greatly enlarged keel to support the large flight muscles.”
When someone starts eating the turkey drumstick say, “Did you know the bone you’re holding, the drumstick, is not the upper leg bone (femur) but the lower leg bone called the tibiotarsus.” As their eyes glaze over, continue, “The tibiotarsus is made up of the tibia, the same name as the primary lower leg bone in mammals, but it also includes some ankle bones, or tarsals, fused to the lower end of the bone. This creates a more stable leg for the bird.”
The neck of the turkey is edible, and in some cultures, considered a delicacy. So, if someone at your table is consuming the turkey neck, be sure to say, “Did you know that all mammals have 7 neck (cervical) vertebrae, except for those wacky sloths and manatees? Birds can have from 11 – 25 vertebrae in their neck, the turkey has 14! They need longer necks to reach the ground while feeding and to reach the preening gland located on their lower back.”
When it’s time to break the wishbone say, in your best intellectual voice, “Did you know (optional pause to push glasses up on nose) the wishbone is actually called the furcula (a very fun word to say) and is basically made up of the two fused clavicles? We have clavicles, also known as collar bones, but in birds they are fused together to form the furcula. In addition to strengthening the shoulder region, the furcula acts like a spring by absorbing and releasing energy during flight.
”Master Level Nerd: This one is really nerdy and something I actually did as a kid. I was always interested in bones, and after dinner was over, I went up to each guest with a bag and asked them for their leftover bones. I think I remember my very proper grandmother leaning over to my mom and whispering, “What is wrong with that boy!?” Later, I simmered the bones to help remove the remaining tissue and grease and then reassembled the skeleton. It looked awful; an articulated skeleton with no head or feet looks ridiculous! Years later, in my museum career, I was hired to build large mammal skeletons for a major exhibit on the Ice Age. Oh, and I sent my grandmother an invitation to the exhibit opening.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving, and if the tryptophan in the turkey meat doesn’t put your guests to sleep, then you will by reciting these facts!
(Well, here I go again… tryptophan in turkey meat doesn’t actually make you sleepy! It’s an amino acid that is involved in sleep regulation, but there’s not enough of it in turkey meat to cause sleepiness. It’s more likely that you feel tired from overeating, consuming lots of carbs, and being in a relaxed environment.)
