Why is wombat excreta shaped like cubes?











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I've heard that wombat excreta is cube shaped, but I don't understand how that can happen. Has anyone studied the phenomenon? What would the evolutionary pressure have been to cause this?










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    up vote
    19
    down vote

    favorite












    I've heard that wombat excreta is cube shaped, but I don't understand how that can happen. Has anyone studied the phenomenon? What would the evolutionary pressure have been to cause this?










    share|improve this question


























      up vote
      19
      down vote

      favorite









      up vote
      19
      down vote

      favorite











      I've heard that wombat excreta is cube shaped, but I don't understand how that can happen. Has anyone studied the phenomenon? What would the evolutionary pressure have been to cause this?










      share|improve this question















      I've heard that wombat excreta is cube shaped, but I don't understand how that can happen. Has anyone studied the phenomenon? What would the evolutionary pressure have been to cause this?







      zoology physiology ethology mammals digestion






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      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited Nov 19 at 23:08









      David

      11.5k41747




      11.5k41747










      asked Nov 19 at 22:19









      ASimonis

      35119




      35119






















          2 Answers
          2






          active

          oldest

          votes

















          up vote
          23
          down vote













          I'm almost certain that your question is based on the press that Patricia J Yang's research is receiving (e.g., here and here).



          Yang and her co-authors examined the structure and mechanics of some dead wombats to investigate this question further. They found that varying degrees of pressure in the latter portion of the wombat's intestines (in conjunction with a dehydrating of the fecal matter) led to the characteristic cube shape:



          From their abstract:




          In the final 8 percent of the intestine, feces changed from a liquid-like state into a solid state composed of separated cubes of length 2 cm. This shape change was due to the azimuthally varying elastic properties of the intestinal wall. By emptying the intestine and inflating it with a long balloon, we found that the local strain varies from 20 percent at the cube's corners to 75 percent at its edges. Thus, the intestine stretches preferentially at the walls to facilitate cube formation.




          enter image description here



          Why do this?



          There seems to be two major reasons:




          1. Mark territory

          2. Attract mates


          For example, see Wells 19891:




          The rubbing of posts, logs and overhanging branches with their backs and rumps and deposition of faeces along trails may be a means of olfactory communication used in the maintenance of territories




          One hypothesis is that by being square, the droppings don't roll as easily and therefore stay in the place that the wombat intended to mark.



          I've also seen hypotheses about wombats stacking their square feces as some sort of signaling, but I couldn't find any reputable literature sources that make this suggestion.





          1: Wells, R.T., 1989. Vombatidae. Fauna of Australia, 1, pp.755-768.






          share|improve this answer



















          • 1




            The "Why do this?" part doesn't really explain why. Plenty of other creatures mark territory and attract mates, and they don't have square poops. Similarly the Wells quote seems unrelated.
            – Parrotmaster
            Nov 20 at 14:51






          • 5




            @Parrotmaster: As nature continually proves, multiple solutions to the same problem exist. Plenty of creatures are land-based animals but that doesn't prove that birds shouldn't have evolved to have wings. Recognizability of feces may not have been the reason for its inception (random mutations tend to be the reason for the inception of a trait), but the subsequent benefit of recognizability of the uniquely shaped droppings may explain why the trait persisted.
            – Flater
            Nov 20 at 15:09








          • 1




            @Parrotmaster take a look at Wells's paper for number of citations regarding the ethology and social-ecology of wombats
            – theforestecologist
            Nov 20 at 15:30






          • 1




            probably means there are 4 muscles around the intestine that form a square.
            – gunfulker
            Nov 20 at 20:37






          • 1




            @GraphTheory, no. The intestine supposedly just squeezes differentially due to varying elastic properties of the intestinal wall.
            – theforestecologist
            Nov 20 at 21:41


















          up vote
          9
          down vote













          On a more serious note than my comment, and as a supplement to theforestecologist's answer, it's worth pointing out that a cube with rounded corners and edges has larger surface area to volume ratio than a spherical dropping, making it more efficient for the reabsorbtion of moisture, which would be an evolutionary advantage in a place where water is in short supply (as it is in large parts of Australia).



          Additionally, in respect of the claim made here that droppings are used for marking, it may be advantageous to have a dropping that doesn't roll, if it's important some subsequent visitor can identify the precise spot the droppings were dropped, especially if one inhabits sloped terrain (which a wombat does - mountainous areas of Australia) where a round dropping might roll and mark an ambiguous spot.






          share|improve this answer













          Some of the information contained in this post requires additional references. Please edit to add citations to reliable sources that support the assertions made here. Unsourced material may be disputed or deleted.










          • 2




            Why would feces reabsorbing moisture be an advantage? Do wombats eat their droppings?
            – Paul
            Nov 20 at 12:44






          • 7




            @Paul I guess he meant colon absorbing moisture from feces to conserve water.
            – user31389
            Nov 20 at 13:00








          • 9




            @Paul a standard function of the colon in all animals is to reabsorb nutrients and fluid from doo doo before it's expelled.
            – Robert Frost
            Nov 20 at 13:29











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          2 Answers
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          active

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          2 Answers
          2






          active

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          active

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          up vote
          23
          down vote













          I'm almost certain that your question is based on the press that Patricia J Yang's research is receiving (e.g., here and here).



          Yang and her co-authors examined the structure and mechanics of some dead wombats to investigate this question further. They found that varying degrees of pressure in the latter portion of the wombat's intestines (in conjunction with a dehydrating of the fecal matter) led to the characteristic cube shape:



          From their abstract:




          In the final 8 percent of the intestine, feces changed from a liquid-like state into a solid state composed of separated cubes of length 2 cm. This shape change was due to the azimuthally varying elastic properties of the intestinal wall. By emptying the intestine and inflating it with a long balloon, we found that the local strain varies from 20 percent at the cube's corners to 75 percent at its edges. Thus, the intestine stretches preferentially at the walls to facilitate cube formation.




          enter image description here



          Why do this?



          There seems to be two major reasons:




          1. Mark territory

          2. Attract mates


          For example, see Wells 19891:




          The rubbing of posts, logs and overhanging branches with their backs and rumps and deposition of faeces along trails may be a means of olfactory communication used in the maintenance of territories




          One hypothesis is that by being square, the droppings don't roll as easily and therefore stay in the place that the wombat intended to mark.



          I've also seen hypotheses about wombats stacking their square feces as some sort of signaling, but I couldn't find any reputable literature sources that make this suggestion.





          1: Wells, R.T., 1989. Vombatidae. Fauna of Australia, 1, pp.755-768.






          share|improve this answer



















          • 1




            The "Why do this?" part doesn't really explain why. Plenty of other creatures mark territory and attract mates, and they don't have square poops. Similarly the Wells quote seems unrelated.
            – Parrotmaster
            Nov 20 at 14:51






          • 5




            @Parrotmaster: As nature continually proves, multiple solutions to the same problem exist. Plenty of creatures are land-based animals but that doesn't prove that birds shouldn't have evolved to have wings. Recognizability of feces may not have been the reason for its inception (random mutations tend to be the reason for the inception of a trait), but the subsequent benefit of recognizability of the uniquely shaped droppings may explain why the trait persisted.
            – Flater
            Nov 20 at 15:09








          • 1




            @Parrotmaster take a look at Wells's paper for number of citations regarding the ethology and social-ecology of wombats
            – theforestecologist
            Nov 20 at 15:30






          • 1




            probably means there are 4 muscles around the intestine that form a square.
            – gunfulker
            Nov 20 at 20:37






          • 1




            @GraphTheory, no. The intestine supposedly just squeezes differentially due to varying elastic properties of the intestinal wall.
            – theforestecologist
            Nov 20 at 21:41















          up vote
          23
          down vote













          I'm almost certain that your question is based on the press that Patricia J Yang's research is receiving (e.g., here and here).



          Yang and her co-authors examined the structure and mechanics of some dead wombats to investigate this question further. They found that varying degrees of pressure in the latter portion of the wombat's intestines (in conjunction with a dehydrating of the fecal matter) led to the characteristic cube shape:



          From their abstract:




          In the final 8 percent of the intestine, feces changed from a liquid-like state into a solid state composed of separated cubes of length 2 cm. This shape change was due to the azimuthally varying elastic properties of the intestinal wall. By emptying the intestine and inflating it with a long balloon, we found that the local strain varies from 20 percent at the cube's corners to 75 percent at its edges. Thus, the intestine stretches preferentially at the walls to facilitate cube formation.




          enter image description here



          Why do this?



          There seems to be two major reasons:




          1. Mark territory

          2. Attract mates


          For example, see Wells 19891:




          The rubbing of posts, logs and overhanging branches with their backs and rumps and deposition of faeces along trails may be a means of olfactory communication used in the maintenance of territories




          One hypothesis is that by being square, the droppings don't roll as easily and therefore stay in the place that the wombat intended to mark.



          I've also seen hypotheses about wombats stacking their square feces as some sort of signaling, but I couldn't find any reputable literature sources that make this suggestion.





          1: Wells, R.T., 1989. Vombatidae. Fauna of Australia, 1, pp.755-768.






          share|improve this answer



















          • 1




            The "Why do this?" part doesn't really explain why. Plenty of other creatures mark territory and attract mates, and they don't have square poops. Similarly the Wells quote seems unrelated.
            – Parrotmaster
            Nov 20 at 14:51






          • 5




            @Parrotmaster: As nature continually proves, multiple solutions to the same problem exist. Plenty of creatures are land-based animals but that doesn't prove that birds shouldn't have evolved to have wings. Recognizability of feces may not have been the reason for its inception (random mutations tend to be the reason for the inception of a trait), but the subsequent benefit of recognizability of the uniquely shaped droppings may explain why the trait persisted.
            – Flater
            Nov 20 at 15:09








          • 1




            @Parrotmaster take a look at Wells's paper for number of citations regarding the ethology and social-ecology of wombats
            – theforestecologist
            Nov 20 at 15:30






          • 1




            probably means there are 4 muscles around the intestine that form a square.
            – gunfulker
            Nov 20 at 20:37






          • 1




            @GraphTheory, no. The intestine supposedly just squeezes differentially due to varying elastic properties of the intestinal wall.
            – theforestecologist
            Nov 20 at 21:41













          up vote
          23
          down vote










          up vote
          23
          down vote









          I'm almost certain that your question is based on the press that Patricia J Yang's research is receiving (e.g., here and here).



          Yang and her co-authors examined the structure and mechanics of some dead wombats to investigate this question further. They found that varying degrees of pressure in the latter portion of the wombat's intestines (in conjunction with a dehydrating of the fecal matter) led to the characteristic cube shape:



          From their abstract:




          In the final 8 percent of the intestine, feces changed from a liquid-like state into a solid state composed of separated cubes of length 2 cm. This shape change was due to the azimuthally varying elastic properties of the intestinal wall. By emptying the intestine and inflating it with a long balloon, we found that the local strain varies from 20 percent at the cube's corners to 75 percent at its edges. Thus, the intestine stretches preferentially at the walls to facilitate cube formation.




          enter image description here



          Why do this?



          There seems to be two major reasons:




          1. Mark territory

          2. Attract mates


          For example, see Wells 19891:




          The rubbing of posts, logs and overhanging branches with their backs and rumps and deposition of faeces along trails may be a means of olfactory communication used in the maintenance of territories




          One hypothesis is that by being square, the droppings don't roll as easily and therefore stay in the place that the wombat intended to mark.



          I've also seen hypotheses about wombats stacking their square feces as some sort of signaling, but I couldn't find any reputable literature sources that make this suggestion.





          1: Wells, R.T., 1989. Vombatidae. Fauna of Australia, 1, pp.755-768.






          share|improve this answer














          I'm almost certain that your question is based on the press that Patricia J Yang's research is receiving (e.g., here and here).



          Yang and her co-authors examined the structure and mechanics of some dead wombats to investigate this question further. They found that varying degrees of pressure in the latter portion of the wombat's intestines (in conjunction with a dehydrating of the fecal matter) led to the characteristic cube shape:



          From their abstract:




          In the final 8 percent of the intestine, feces changed from a liquid-like state into a solid state composed of separated cubes of length 2 cm. This shape change was due to the azimuthally varying elastic properties of the intestinal wall. By emptying the intestine and inflating it with a long balloon, we found that the local strain varies from 20 percent at the cube's corners to 75 percent at its edges. Thus, the intestine stretches preferentially at the walls to facilitate cube formation.




          enter image description here



          Why do this?



          There seems to be two major reasons:




          1. Mark territory

          2. Attract mates


          For example, see Wells 19891:




          The rubbing of posts, logs and overhanging branches with their backs and rumps and deposition of faeces along trails may be a means of olfactory communication used in the maintenance of territories




          One hypothesis is that by being square, the droppings don't roll as easily and therefore stay in the place that the wombat intended to mark.



          I've also seen hypotheses about wombats stacking their square feces as some sort of signaling, but I couldn't find any reputable literature sources that make this suggestion.





          1: Wells, R.T., 1989. Vombatidae. Fauna of Australia, 1, pp.755-768.







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited Nov 20 at 22:06

























          answered Nov 19 at 22:43









          theforestecologist

          15.3k670122




          15.3k670122








          • 1




            The "Why do this?" part doesn't really explain why. Plenty of other creatures mark territory and attract mates, and they don't have square poops. Similarly the Wells quote seems unrelated.
            – Parrotmaster
            Nov 20 at 14:51






          • 5




            @Parrotmaster: As nature continually proves, multiple solutions to the same problem exist. Plenty of creatures are land-based animals but that doesn't prove that birds shouldn't have evolved to have wings. Recognizability of feces may not have been the reason for its inception (random mutations tend to be the reason for the inception of a trait), but the subsequent benefit of recognizability of the uniquely shaped droppings may explain why the trait persisted.
            – Flater
            Nov 20 at 15:09








          • 1




            @Parrotmaster take a look at Wells's paper for number of citations regarding the ethology and social-ecology of wombats
            – theforestecologist
            Nov 20 at 15:30






          • 1




            probably means there are 4 muscles around the intestine that form a square.
            – gunfulker
            Nov 20 at 20:37






          • 1




            @GraphTheory, no. The intestine supposedly just squeezes differentially due to varying elastic properties of the intestinal wall.
            – theforestecologist
            Nov 20 at 21:41














          • 1




            The "Why do this?" part doesn't really explain why. Plenty of other creatures mark territory and attract mates, and they don't have square poops. Similarly the Wells quote seems unrelated.
            – Parrotmaster
            Nov 20 at 14:51






          • 5




            @Parrotmaster: As nature continually proves, multiple solutions to the same problem exist. Plenty of creatures are land-based animals but that doesn't prove that birds shouldn't have evolved to have wings. Recognizability of feces may not have been the reason for its inception (random mutations tend to be the reason for the inception of a trait), but the subsequent benefit of recognizability of the uniquely shaped droppings may explain why the trait persisted.
            – Flater
            Nov 20 at 15:09








          • 1




            @Parrotmaster take a look at Wells's paper for number of citations regarding the ethology and social-ecology of wombats
            – theforestecologist
            Nov 20 at 15:30






          • 1




            probably means there are 4 muscles around the intestine that form a square.
            – gunfulker
            Nov 20 at 20:37






          • 1




            @GraphTheory, no. The intestine supposedly just squeezes differentially due to varying elastic properties of the intestinal wall.
            – theforestecologist
            Nov 20 at 21:41








          1




          1




          The "Why do this?" part doesn't really explain why. Plenty of other creatures mark territory and attract mates, and they don't have square poops. Similarly the Wells quote seems unrelated.
          – Parrotmaster
          Nov 20 at 14:51




          The "Why do this?" part doesn't really explain why. Plenty of other creatures mark territory and attract mates, and they don't have square poops. Similarly the Wells quote seems unrelated.
          – Parrotmaster
          Nov 20 at 14:51




          5




          5




          @Parrotmaster: As nature continually proves, multiple solutions to the same problem exist. Plenty of creatures are land-based animals but that doesn't prove that birds shouldn't have evolved to have wings. Recognizability of feces may not have been the reason for its inception (random mutations tend to be the reason for the inception of a trait), but the subsequent benefit of recognizability of the uniquely shaped droppings may explain why the trait persisted.
          – Flater
          Nov 20 at 15:09






          @Parrotmaster: As nature continually proves, multiple solutions to the same problem exist. Plenty of creatures are land-based animals but that doesn't prove that birds shouldn't have evolved to have wings. Recognizability of feces may not have been the reason for its inception (random mutations tend to be the reason for the inception of a trait), but the subsequent benefit of recognizability of the uniquely shaped droppings may explain why the trait persisted.
          – Flater
          Nov 20 at 15:09






          1




          1




          @Parrotmaster take a look at Wells's paper for number of citations regarding the ethology and social-ecology of wombats
          – theforestecologist
          Nov 20 at 15:30




          @Parrotmaster take a look at Wells's paper for number of citations regarding the ethology and social-ecology of wombats
          – theforestecologist
          Nov 20 at 15:30




          1




          1




          probably means there are 4 muscles around the intestine that form a square.
          – gunfulker
          Nov 20 at 20:37




          probably means there are 4 muscles around the intestine that form a square.
          – gunfulker
          Nov 20 at 20:37




          1




          1




          @GraphTheory, no. The intestine supposedly just squeezes differentially due to varying elastic properties of the intestinal wall.
          – theforestecologist
          Nov 20 at 21:41




          @GraphTheory, no. The intestine supposedly just squeezes differentially due to varying elastic properties of the intestinal wall.
          – theforestecologist
          Nov 20 at 21:41










          up vote
          9
          down vote













          On a more serious note than my comment, and as a supplement to theforestecologist's answer, it's worth pointing out that a cube with rounded corners and edges has larger surface area to volume ratio than a spherical dropping, making it more efficient for the reabsorbtion of moisture, which would be an evolutionary advantage in a place where water is in short supply (as it is in large parts of Australia).



          Additionally, in respect of the claim made here that droppings are used for marking, it may be advantageous to have a dropping that doesn't roll, if it's important some subsequent visitor can identify the precise spot the droppings were dropped, especially if one inhabits sloped terrain (which a wombat does - mountainous areas of Australia) where a round dropping might roll and mark an ambiguous spot.






          share|improve this answer













          Some of the information contained in this post requires additional references. Please edit to add citations to reliable sources that support the assertions made here. Unsourced material may be disputed or deleted.










          • 2




            Why would feces reabsorbing moisture be an advantage? Do wombats eat their droppings?
            – Paul
            Nov 20 at 12:44






          • 7




            @Paul I guess he meant colon absorbing moisture from feces to conserve water.
            – user31389
            Nov 20 at 13:00








          • 9




            @Paul a standard function of the colon in all animals is to reabsorb nutrients and fluid from doo doo before it's expelled.
            – Robert Frost
            Nov 20 at 13:29















          up vote
          9
          down vote













          On a more serious note than my comment, and as a supplement to theforestecologist's answer, it's worth pointing out that a cube with rounded corners and edges has larger surface area to volume ratio than a spherical dropping, making it more efficient for the reabsorbtion of moisture, which would be an evolutionary advantage in a place where water is in short supply (as it is in large parts of Australia).



          Additionally, in respect of the claim made here that droppings are used for marking, it may be advantageous to have a dropping that doesn't roll, if it's important some subsequent visitor can identify the precise spot the droppings were dropped, especially if one inhabits sloped terrain (which a wombat does - mountainous areas of Australia) where a round dropping might roll and mark an ambiguous spot.






          share|improve this answer













          Some of the information contained in this post requires additional references. Please edit to add citations to reliable sources that support the assertions made here. Unsourced material may be disputed or deleted.










          • 2




            Why would feces reabsorbing moisture be an advantage? Do wombats eat their droppings?
            – Paul
            Nov 20 at 12:44






          • 7




            @Paul I guess he meant colon absorbing moisture from feces to conserve water.
            – user31389
            Nov 20 at 13:00








          • 9




            @Paul a standard function of the colon in all animals is to reabsorb nutrients and fluid from doo doo before it's expelled.
            – Robert Frost
            Nov 20 at 13:29













          up vote
          9
          down vote










          up vote
          9
          down vote









          On a more serious note than my comment, and as a supplement to theforestecologist's answer, it's worth pointing out that a cube with rounded corners and edges has larger surface area to volume ratio than a spherical dropping, making it more efficient for the reabsorbtion of moisture, which would be an evolutionary advantage in a place where water is in short supply (as it is in large parts of Australia).



          Additionally, in respect of the claim made here that droppings are used for marking, it may be advantageous to have a dropping that doesn't roll, if it's important some subsequent visitor can identify the precise spot the droppings were dropped, especially if one inhabits sloped terrain (which a wombat does - mountainous areas of Australia) where a round dropping might roll and mark an ambiguous spot.






          share|improve this answer














          On a more serious note than my comment, and as a supplement to theforestecologist's answer, it's worth pointing out that a cube with rounded corners and edges has larger surface area to volume ratio than a spherical dropping, making it more efficient for the reabsorbtion of moisture, which would be an evolutionary advantage in a place where water is in short supply (as it is in large parts of Australia).



          Additionally, in respect of the claim made here that droppings are used for marking, it may be advantageous to have a dropping that doesn't roll, if it's important some subsequent visitor can identify the precise spot the droppings were dropped, especially if one inhabits sloped terrain (which a wombat does - mountainous areas of Australia) where a round dropping might roll and mark an ambiguous spot.







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited Nov 21 at 9:52

























          answered Nov 20 at 9:30









          Robert Frost

          1994




          1994



          Some of the information contained in this post requires additional references. Please edit to add citations to reliable sources that support the assertions made here. Unsourced material may be disputed or deleted.




          Some of the information contained in this post requires additional references. Please edit to add citations to reliable sources that support the assertions made here. Unsourced material may be disputed or deleted.









          • 2




            Why would feces reabsorbing moisture be an advantage? Do wombats eat their droppings?
            – Paul
            Nov 20 at 12:44






          • 7




            @Paul I guess he meant colon absorbing moisture from feces to conserve water.
            – user31389
            Nov 20 at 13:00








          • 9




            @Paul a standard function of the colon in all animals is to reabsorb nutrients and fluid from doo doo before it's expelled.
            – Robert Frost
            Nov 20 at 13:29














          • 2




            Why would feces reabsorbing moisture be an advantage? Do wombats eat their droppings?
            – Paul
            Nov 20 at 12:44






          • 7




            @Paul I guess he meant colon absorbing moisture from feces to conserve water.
            – user31389
            Nov 20 at 13:00








          • 9




            @Paul a standard function of the colon in all animals is to reabsorb nutrients and fluid from doo doo before it's expelled.
            – Robert Frost
            Nov 20 at 13:29








          2




          2




          Why would feces reabsorbing moisture be an advantage? Do wombats eat their droppings?
          – Paul
          Nov 20 at 12:44




          Why would feces reabsorbing moisture be an advantage? Do wombats eat their droppings?
          – Paul
          Nov 20 at 12:44




          7




          7




          @Paul I guess he meant colon absorbing moisture from feces to conserve water.
          – user31389
          Nov 20 at 13:00






          @Paul I guess he meant colon absorbing moisture from feces to conserve water.
          – user31389
          Nov 20 at 13:00






          9




          9




          @Paul a standard function of the colon in all animals is to reabsorb nutrients and fluid from doo doo before it's expelled.
          – Robert Frost
          Nov 20 at 13:29




          @Paul a standard function of the colon in all animals is to reabsorb nutrients and fluid from doo doo before it's expelled.
          – Robert Frost
          Nov 20 at 13:29


















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