Researchers discover how wombats excrete poop blocks

An international team of scientists has been able to repeat how a wombat produces square poo – and this could change the way geometric products are manufactured in the future.

Research published today in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s journal Soft caseexpands on the discovery that wombat poo forms its characteristic shape within the intestines of the wombat, not at the point of exit as previously thought.

They have now discovered that the slow passage of the stool and the different stiffness within the last 17 percent of the intestines produce the square shape – before it exits via the round anus.

This discovery not only applies to uterine levels – for example, cancer increases the tension in different regions of the colon and can produce feces of different shapes – but the technique can help scientists and engineers develop new ways to make soft materials, such as plastic in geometric shapes.

This knowledge can also be applied to other fields such as clinical pathology and digestive system in other species, including humans.

The natural ecologist of the University of Tasmania, dr. Scott Carver, made the accidental discovery when he analyzed a wombat carcass as part of his primary investigation into the treatment of scabies in the uterus.

The cube-poe study focuses on bald-nosed (common) wombats, which occur mainly in south-eastern Australia.

“Bare-nosed wombats are known for producing distinctive, cube-shaped hooks. This ability to form relatively uniform, clean-cut feces is unique in the animal kingdom,” said Dr. Carver said.

“They place this feces on prominent points in their home range, such as around a rock or a stump, to communicate with each other. Our research has found that these cubes form within the last parts of the gut – and ultimately prove that you really can fit a square pin through a round hole. ‘

Through a combination of laboratory tests and mathematical models, the researchers discovered that there are two tight and two more flexible regions around the perimeter of the uterus.

Georgia Institute of Technology professor David Hu said: “This absolutely new mechanism on how to shape these corners with a knife or any sharp edges has cost a lot of repetitions and we have now managed to do it without wombat to use yourself. “

The combination of dehydration of the stool in the distal colon and muscle contractions form the regular size and angles of the stool.

Wombat intestines are about 10 meters long, ten times as long as the body of a wombat.

When people eat, food products move through the intestines within a matter of a day or two. The digestive process of a uterus takes up to four times as long so that all the nutritional content is possible. They are also more efficient at extracting water from the gut, with their feces a third drier than humans.

The results can be used to help the health of the digestive tract in wombat in captivity.

“Cube formation can help us understand the hydration status of uterus, as the stool may appear less wet in wetter conditions. It also shows how intestinal stiffness can produce slippery edges as a feature of pathology,” said Dr. Carver said.

“Now we understand how these cubes are formed, but there is still a lot to learn about wombat behavior to fully understand why it evolved to produce cubes in the first place.”

Patricia Yang, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgia Tech, added that the research could have a number of uses. “We know, for example, that one of the earlier symptoms of colon cancer is that part of the colon may become stiff. It is then possible that it may form an edge or unusual shape in the stool and may be an early indication of health. of the colon.

“I do not know if people will be interested in cubic sausages in the future, but it could change the way we can shape soft materials in the future, or how we can manipulate soft robots.”

Laura Ghandhi, Development Editor of Soft case of the Royal Society of Chemistry said: “This is a wonderful example of how cross-disciplinary research and a passion for questioning everything can yield surprising and useful results. It also shows how creative approaches in science are a passion for research. can inspire and ignite. lasts a lifetime. ‘

The team of Australian and American scientists was awarded an Ig Nobel Prize in 2019 for ‘research that makes you laugh then think’.