1. Poop is Transforming an Entire Continent

Penguins are known worldwide for their cute beaks, stocky bodies, and a funny walk. However, what they are less known for is their transformative contribution of an entire barren continent.

According to a National Geographic piece, the next big thing that will change the face of Antarctica (right after global warming, of course) is penguin poop. The author and the two accompanying biologists came up with this theory on Danco Island, whose bare, rocky northwestern part is populated by between 500 and 1,000 gentoo penguins.

It might seem far fetched, so let’s break down the argument put forward by the same article. Say, 500 penguins have pooped on the island 100 days per year, for the last 5,000 years. Since typical Gentoo excretes about 30 millimeters of poop per day, this means about 3,000 of poop each year, or 16 million pounds over 5,000 years. Meaning thousands of plant nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous, which would never have gotten on the Island otherwise.

This, in turn, can lead to the development of new types of plants and animals that, as temperature rise, can bring even more newcomers. It’s a fragile ecosystem, and since nobody can stop another living being from pooping, will continue to suffer from the effects of global warming. As well as the fact that penguins are slobs.