Posted on 11/21/2018 2:49:28 PM PST by 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.
“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.”
Best line from the article:
“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.
In other words, this was only phase ONE... OF PROBABLY MANY MORE investigations in square poop wombat technology.
Doesn’t look like a “Bat” at all.
Pass the cranberry dressing please. Thank you. Say, did you hear about the latest study on Wombat sh*t?
Dammit - you post this now as a tease - Freepers love this sort of seminar. Had we known last week, most of us would have been there....
They’re relatives of the koala.
A metatherian analog to eutherian rodents. An example of convergent evolution.
All day long
We will be Wombling in the snow,
We wish you a Wombling Merry Christmas.
All day long
We will be laughing as we go
We wish you a Merry Wombling Christmas.
All day long
We will be Wombling in the snow,
We wish you a Wombling Merry Christmas.
All day long
We will be laughing as we go
We wish you a Merry Wombling Christmas.
Ping
Lol! I think I remember that.
Maybe it's like those old PlayDough extruders with the different shape openings? I'd find and post a Gif of one tomorrow. Only have smartphone tonight.
The Kingsford effect.. a very rare gene set must be required to pull this off.. probably due to climate change no doubt.
If they were in San Francisco they could use square pooper scoopers!
LOL!!!
Cubic Pooponia
Poop to the 3rd power. (Poop cubed)
Or poop x poop x poop.
Well they should! They could build houses, warehouses, schools, museums, new Amazon buildings, etc.
This is amazing. Next, I think they should work on making tetrahedron-shaped poop next.
Do smart wombats make Rubik’s Poops?
DANG!
If there’s a better phrase than “Wombat Combat”, I’ve yet to hear it.
Not too different from our friends, the sheep:
I remember that when I find one up here....mixed in with the moose nuggets. :)
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