The rough-haired or hollow-nosed wombat, or common wombat (Vombatus ursinus), excretes cube-shaped droppings.
Scientists finally seem to know why.
Wombats excrete a lot, like other herbivores, but they differ from all other animal excrement in that it is almost exactly cubic in shape and size, like cubes.
This feature has long intrigued biologists, who also long ago discovered an explanation: wombats are believed to use a unique form to mark their territory by creating high mounds that prevent them from rolling down the often steep slopes of their natural habitat.
But no other species that use excrement to demarcate territory has evolved this practical adaptation, and the explanation for this is simple: building a digestive system that creates cubic forms instead of generally cylindrical ones is difficult. So what is wombat’s method of achieving this? The aptly named Soft Matter magazine has finally revealed the secret.
Dr. Patricia Yang of the Georgia Institute of Technology provides the answer and explains how it all went wrong. “My initial motivation for this was the fact that I had never encountered anything so strange in biology. It remained a puzzle,” Yang said in the report. “I didn’t even think it was real at first. I was skeptical, even though I learned about the cube-shaped wombat droppings from a Google search.”
Yang, who specializes in the study of fluid dynamics in the body, took a course of action that any competent scientist would take. She inflated the intestines of wombats whose digestive systems were brutally destroyed by cars. In addition to disproving the long-held belief that wombat anuses must be square, Yang also challenged the idea that the top of the gut forms a cube shape.
Instead, Yang and colleagues attribute the semi-fluid state of the wombat’s digested food entering the gut to alternately stiff and flexible lengths of the gut wall, with solidification occurring only in the last 8% of the gut.
To create the cube shapes, these sections in the wombat’s gut—which, at 33 feet long, is about ten times longer than the hairy marsupial’s body—apply drastically different stresses to the corners and edges of the cubes.
Although curiosity-driven research is often accused of wasting public dollars, its proponents argue that there may be useful applications beyond the gratification that comes from finding.
The fact that the cubes are made inside a soft tube has led to the discovery of “an entirely new way of making cubes” that may have implications for clinical pathology, manufacturing, and digestive health.
The revelation of how wombats produce their distinctive cube-shaped feces offers a fascinating insight into the interplay of biology and evolution. Research by Dr. Patricia Yang not only solves a long-standing mystery but also highlights the complexity of the wombat’s digestive system.
By understanding the unique anatomical and physiological adaptations that enable this unusual excretion, scientists can appreciate how specific environmental pressures shaped wombat behavior and habitat interaction.
Moreover, the implications of this research go beyond curiosity-based inquiry. The discovery of a new way to produce cube-like shapes in a soft structure could have significant applications in various fields, including medicine and manufacturing.
This underscores the importance of basic scientific research, which often leads to unexpected innovations that can benefit society as a whole.
In conclusion, the study of wombat feces serves as a reminder of the wonders of nature and the importance of scientific research.
As we continue to unravel the mysteries of the natural world, we not only deepen our understanding of individual species but also open the door to new technologies and methodologies that can improve human life. The journey from wombat poop to potential advances in clinical and industrial applications illustrates the interconnectedness of all scientific knowledge and the value of pursuing seemingly trivial questions.