Why Are Koalas So Cute? Eucalyptus & Evolution, Baby

From Wired Magazine:

Modern koalas are known for their cuteness, nearly exclusive eucalyptus-leaf diet, and the unexpectedly weird noises they make.

By studying the skulls of koala predecessors that lived five to 24 million years ago in the Miocene, an Australian team argues that evolution reshaped the animals faces to enable them to eat the tough leaves while maintaining their specialized communication anatomy.

“The unique cranial configuration of the modern koala is therefore the result of accommodating their masticatory adaptations without compromising their auditory system,” write the researchers, led by Mike Archer, a paleontologist at the University of New South Wales, in a paper in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

HT: My Tree

Sick as a Koala

Remember to love your koalas properly, otherwise they may end up in the E.R.

Cute Overload

Koala, the Thinker. HT: L. Ekkizogloy

Things a Koala Would Say

From McSweeney's a somewhat comprehensive list of Koala sayings:

• Eating leaves is fun!
• Climbing trees is fun!
• No, you're the cutest ever.
• Love me!
• Camus is boring. I find Karl Jaspers's philosophy much more enlightening.

I would add:

• I love bacon!
• Where's my tree?!

More on their website...

What would you say if you were a koala?

Give me a Gold Standard Koala

The Perth Mint is joining the Koala-Bandwagon and is starting to mint "cuddly" koala gold and silver bullion. What a great way to preserve your wealth from the attack of inflation!

Fight inflation and purchase some Koala-coins.

The proof 1/10 ounce gold coins are currently priced at:

$188.64 (AUS)
$183.51 (US)
The proof 1/25 ounce coins have a price of:

$97.73 (AUS)
$95.07 (US)
The new series silver coin are currently priced at:

$68.19 (AUS)
$66.34 (US)

The silver coin is currently priced at:

$31.82 (AUS)
$30.95 (US)

Purchase at the Perth Mint of Australia. (HT: R. Spencer)

What happens when you tickle me

Test Tube Koalas

Answer to how you can grow your own koalas at home if you aren't a koala.