this post was submitted on 20 Apr 2025
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Mildly Interesting

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[–] HappySkullsplitter@lemmy.world 57 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Collecting the cassowary eggs more often results in death

[–] CuddlyCassowary@lemmy.world 42 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Or what, you'll cuddle me?

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

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

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

Oh. I thought we were gonna make more eggs

[–] nickwitha_k@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 1 year ago
[–] Rooskie91@discuss.online 16 points 1 year ago

Lego my egg-o

[–] j4k3@lemmy.world 42 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] wabafee@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

First thought

[–] smee@poeng.link 4 points 1 year ago

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

[–] stupidcasey@lemmy.world 41 points 1 year ago (5 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 1 year ago (2 children)

What's the limiting factor?

[–] CheeseNoodle@lemmy.world 29 points 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year ago

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

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

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

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[–] dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de 13 points 1 year ago (7 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.
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[–] twice_hatch@midwest.social 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Tell me about whale eggs? 😯

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[–] Illegalmexicant@lemmy.world 26 points 1 year 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 1 year ago

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

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

wiki

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

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

Wait till you see the Kiwi egg

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

These ones must be hard-boiled.

[–] jaemo@sh.itjust.works 39 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Used to be my favorite t-shirt...

[–] barneypiccolo@lemm.ee 13 points 1 year 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.

[–] duhbasser@lemm.ee 11 points 1 year 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

[–] lunachocken@lemm.ee 11 points 1 year ago (2 children)

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

Therefore an eggscreen

[–] twice_hatch@midwest.social 8 points 1 year ago

The bright one has a natural QR code

[–] Yokozuna@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year 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 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] Lemmynated@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 year ago

Rip whoever birthed the sea urchin.

[–] PacMan@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 year ago

Which one tastes the best?

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

That cassowary egg is moving

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

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

[–] reactionality@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 1 year ago
[–] helvetpuli@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 year ago
[–] amzd@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] milicent_bystandr@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago

The forest was burning, so he rescued them. Now he will put them back, lovingly, on the stove for breakfast for him and his five children.

Those poor eggs.

Out of the fire,

and into the frying pan.

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