Wombats make cube-shaped poop, thanks to unique intestines

ScienceMag.com ^ | Nov 20, 2018 | Frankie Schembri

[ETL]

Wombats, short-legged, burrowing marsupials native to Australia, are the only animals known to produce cube-shaped feces.

It’s long been speculated that wombats produce these poop bricks as a unique way of marking their territory.

Now, scientists have determined the likely causes of these unusual feces are the shape and flexibility of the wombats’ intestines, National Geographic reports.

Researchers inflated long balloons in the intestines of dead common wombats to measure the shape and flexibility and found two ravinelike grooves where the intestines were more elastic.

These grooves could form the poop into a solid cube just before it exits the wombat, the scientists reported over the weekend at the annual meeting of the American Physical Society’s Division of Fluid Dynamics in Atlanta. 

Next, the researchers say they’ll investigate how only two intestinal grooves can extrude a cube, as opposed to four—one for each face except the top and bottom.

[nickedknack]

Then why is human faces tapered?
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A: To prevent the top of your head from blowing off when your @$$h0!e slams shut.

[ETL]

Okay, for one million dollars, what shape is Wombat poo?

Hey, you never know.

[Wissa]

Wombats make cube-shaped poop...

Oddly enough, mine comes out shaped like a wombat.

[Songcraft]

If Trump ever decides to build a wall around San Francisco, he can use these for bricks, and save a few bucks.

[ETL]

They make great dice cubes!

[9422WMR]

Back in grade school we would say:
Well sh*t a brick!!

[ETL]

[who_would_fardels_bear]

"Researchers inflated long balloons in the intestines of dead common wombats"

You want me to do what?

Is it too late to get another thesis advisor?

[ETL]

[forgotten man]

This will be a good topic for Thanksgiving dinner conversation.

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

The articles says that these are to mark its territory. Does he wall in his territory? Build the wall, Mr. President (using wombat pop, perhaps?) 😉

[Flick Lives]

Researchers inflated long balloons in the intestines of dead common wombats to measure the shape and flexibility and found two ravinelike grooves where the intestines were more elastic.

"So, Joe, what sort of research have you been working on lately?"

[fruser1]

Ok, that explains the intestine part.

It still has to come out. Are their exit points square too?

Who out there is willing to examine womba**holes?

And can animals be genetically modified to produce other interesting shapes?

[Ezekiel]

Researchers inflated long balloons in the intestines of dead common wombats to measure the shape and flexibility...

In case anyone has been wondering what Cousin Eddie has been up to of late..

[vpintheak]

LOL! Yep. The only way to be sure is to throw massive amounts of money into studies. It’s for our own good. Just think of the world we will be leaving for our children...

[bgill]

TMI.

[Billthedrill]

Wait a minute. Maybe that’s why what I just put in the barbecue isn’t staying lit.

[Quickgun]

Not sure how grooves can make poop square. But given that the “poop chute” is grooved, I’ll have to assume the Wombat can poop more accurately with the rifling than if it was a simple smooth bore......

[Eagles6]

"Researchers inflated long balloons in the intestines of dead common wombats to measure the shape and flexibility and found two ravinelike grooves where the intestines were more elastic."

Now why didn't I think of that?

Oh, that's right, I don't have skads of money and time laying around!

Oh, and I'm sane too...'course that's just my opinion.

[quasimodo_79]

“If Trump ever decides to build a wall around San Francisco, he can use these for bricks, and save a few bucks. “

Hahahahah, that made me LOL the first time I read it, and made me LOL the 2nd time too.