NPR

How Do Eggs Get Their Shapes? Scientists Think They've Cracked It

Eggs evolved over 300 million years ago and now come in all kinds of shapes, from Tic Tacs to teardrops to pingpong balls. After studying some 50,000 eggs, a team of researchers thinks it knows why.
An international team of scientists believes it has solved the mystery of how eggs got their shapes.

One of nature's most efficient life-support systems is the egg. Eggs evolved over 300 million years ago as vertebrate animals adapted to living on land. And since then, they've taken on numerous shapes, especially among birds.

Biologists have long wondered why there are so

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min readInternational Relations
Hamas Says Latest Cease-fire Talks Have Ended. Israel Vows A Military Operation Soon
The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo. Meanwhile, Israel closed its main crossing point for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid for Gaza after Hamas attacked it.
NPR2 min read
Jerry Seinfeld And The Fraught History Of Comedians And 'Political Correctness'
Jerry Seinfeld has the become the latest in a string of public figures to blame "political correctness" for the death of comedy (among other societal ills). But what does the term actually refer to?
NPR2 min readDiscrimination & Race Relations
U Of Mississippi Opens Probe Over Hostile Protest That Involved Racist Taunts
Videos of Thursday's incident at the school were shared on social media showing heated confrontations between pro-Palestinian protesters and a larger group of counterprotesters.

Related Books & Audiobooks