View a video of the maple seeds and the mini-vortexes they generate.
A heavy body and lone, stubby wing seem unlikely features for an object trying to fly—but they help the seeds of maple trees travel thousands of meters from a parent tree, researchers report in the June 12 Science.
The helicopter-like seeds—technically fruits called samaras—dangle from trees in pairs. As the seeds age, they separate into single units, each a heavy, round mass at the base of a stubby, asymmetrical wing. This design makes the maple fruits spin as they descend, which generates an upward sucking mini-tornado atop the leading edge of the wing. And the flying fruits have lift.