This fantastic video reveals how Agama lizards use their tails to balance as they leap through the air. The footage, combined with analysis of a "robot lizard" made from an R/C car outfitted with a mechanical tail and gyroscope, helped UC Berkeley scientists understand the physics of how the reptile controls its movement mid-jump. Their work supports a long-held theory that velociraptors used their tails as "dynamic stabilizers" when launching into an attack. Apparently, Jurassic Park had it right. "Measuring the leap of a lizard"
UPDATE: Tom Libby, the lead researcher on this project, points us to his lab's press Web site, a Nature video, and an IEEE Spectrum article with much more information on the robot.
