this post was submitted on 20 Apr 2025
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Mildly Interesting

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A emu egg (left) next to a cassowary egg (right). They are some of the largest bird eggs on the planet. (lemmy.world)
submitted 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) by ickplant@lemmy.world to c/mildlyinteresting@lemmy.world
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[–] HappySkullsplitter@lemmy.world 57 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Collecting the cassowary eggs more often results in death

[–] CuddlyCassowary@lemmy.world 42 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Hands off my eggs.

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 25 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Or what, you'll cuddle me?

[–] CuddlyCassowary@lemmy.world 35 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yes, with my snuggle-talons. It’s a once in a lifetime experience.

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Oh. I thought we were gonna make more eggs

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[–] Rooskie91@discuss.online 16 points 10 months ago

Lego my egg-o

[–] Deceptichum@quokk.au 45 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (5 children)

My 30 year old ostrich egg.

[–] SmackemWittadic@lemmy.world 41 points 10 months ago

I'm no Ostrich expert, but I think that egg is defective if it has yet to hatch in 30 years.

You should get a refund

[–] ZeffSyde@lemmy.world 24 points 10 months ago

That's one hell of a gestation period.

[–] ProvableGecko@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I didn't know ostriches lived that long.

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[–] j4k3@lemmy.world 42 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Hmmm...

[–] wabafee@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago

First thought

[–] smee@poeng.link 4 points 10 months ago

That's some strange looking pears, that's for sure.

[–] stupidcasey@lemmy.world 41 points 10 months ago (4 children)

Fun fact, ostrich eggs are nearing The largest land eggs can physically get, so even the dinosaurs didn't have much bigger eggs.

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 14 points 10 months ago (2 children)

What's the limiting factor?

[–] CheeseNoodle@lemmy.world 29 points 10 months ago (1 children)

If I had to guess it'd be the ability for oxygen to diffuse through the shell and reach the embryo?

[–] dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de 42 points 10 months ago (6 children)

I got curious and your assumption is correct for one of the limiting factors.

Here is what I found:

  • The shell must be strong enough to support the egg’s weight and protect the embryo, but thin enough for the chick to break through when hatching.
  • As size increases, the weight grows cubically (volume), but shell strength only increases quadratically (surface area), so there’s a point where the shell would have to be too thick to hatch from.
  • The distance from the shell to the center increases.
  • Oxygen diffusion becomes inefficient, and the embryo could suffocate.
  • Larger eggs are harder to keep at a uniform temperature.
  • Birds incubating the eggs would need to generate and distribute more heat, which is physically demanding.
[–] milicent_bystandr@lemm.ee 5 points 10 months ago

What's your sources? Begging your pardon, that looks like a perfectly standard GPT answer.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Didn't think I would find egg facts so interesting... Cool!

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[–] dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de 13 points 10 months ago (5 children)

Here is what I found:

  • The shell must be strong enough to support the egg’s weight and protect the embryo, but thin enough for the chick to break through when hatching.
  • As size increases, the weight grows cubically (volume), but shell strength only increases quadratically (surface area), so there’s a point where the shell would have to be too thick to hatch from.
  • The distance from the shell to the center increases.
  • Oxygen diffusion becomes inefficient, and the embryo could suffocate.
  • Larger eggs are harder to keep at a uniform temperature.
  • Birds incubating the eggs would need to generate and distribute more heat, which is physically demanding.
[–] tamal3@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Any info on why both are GREEN? That's unexpected. Camouflage, maybe?

[–] dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

I am not an eggspert but after a quick search it seems many bird eggs are green in colour due to a pigment called biliverdin.

Interestingly verde is green in Spanish.

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[–] twice_hatch@midwest.social 8 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Tell me about whale eggs? 😯

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[–] Fabian@lemmy.zip 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Why is that?

[–] dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de 12 points 10 months ago

Here is what I found:

  • The shell must be strong enough to support the egg’s weight and protect the embryo, but thin enough for the chick to break through when hatching.
  • As size increases, the weight grows cubically (volume), but shell strength only increases quadratically (surface area), so there’s a point where the shell would have to be too thick to hatch from.
  • The distance from the shell to the center increases.
  • Oxygen diffusion becomes inefficient, and the embryo could suffocate.
  • Larger eggs are harder to keep at a uniform temperature.
  • Birds incubating the eggs would need to generate and distribute more heat, which is physically demanding.
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[–] Illegalmexicant@lemmy.world 26 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I too don't know my left from right but the dark green is an emu egg

[–] ickplant@lemmy.world 18 points 10 months ago

Turns out you are right! I was just copying the caption, but I’ll fix it.

[–] Prime_Minister_Keyes@lemm.ee 24 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

They are also single frigging cells. Yet, they have nothing on the largest unicellular organisms, size-wise.

[–] smee@poeng.link 8 points 10 months ago (1 children)

wiki

Good grief, just tell us the size. I skimmed the article and is none the wiser.

[–] Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works 3 points 10 months ago

The biggest single-celled organism in the world is structured in the same way: an aquatic alga called Caulerpa taxifolia, which can grow to 30cm long. https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/creatura-blog/2019/04/this-bizarre-bubble-creature-is-a-single-living-cell/

[–] UrPartnerInCrime@sh.itjust.works 23 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Wait till you see the Kiwi egg

[–] betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world 50 points 10 months ago (1 children)

These ones must be hard-boiled.

[–] jaemo@sh.itjust.works 39 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Used to be my favorite t-shirt...

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[–] barneypiccolo@lemm.ee 13 points 10 months ago

Someone gave me an emu egg years ago, and I proudly displayed it for a long time. Then I got cats, and realized quickly that I should put it away.

[–] lunachocken@lemm.ee 11 points 10 months ago (2 children)

That green look so green you could probably use the egg as a green screen

Therefore an eggscreen

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[–] duhbasser@lemm.ee 11 points 10 months ago

How do you even get your hands on a cassowary egg and not die a horrible death. Emu’s are chill as long as you’re a guy

[–] twice_hatch@midwest.social 8 points 10 months ago

The bright one has a natural QR code

[–] Yokozuna@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Now we need a Kiwi egg and a diagram of each animal next to each other. Absolute legends of a flightless bird.

[–] CurlyWurlies4All@slrpnk.net 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

[–] Lemmynated@lemmy.zip 7 points 10 months ago

Rip whoever birthed the sea urchin.

[–] PacMan@sh.itjust.works 6 points 10 months ago

Which one tastes the best?

[–] don@lemm.ee 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

That cassowary egg is moving

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago

Not pictured: The angry cassowary mama just offscreen about to eviscerate this person

[–] reactionality@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 10 months ago

omelette

[–] helvetpuli@sopuli.xyz 4 points 10 months ago

extant

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