In mammals, the ability largely comes from three loop - shaped structures in the inner ear called semicircular canals; in most species, the size, shape, and arrangement of those loops (inset) is extremely consistent from one individual to another. (sciencemag.org)
All crania were scanned bilaterally, ensuring that both the right and left semicircular canals were scanned in situ. (journals.plos.org)
The cheetahs also had elongated semicircular canals, parts of the system involved in head movement and eye direction. (sciencemag.org)