麻豆淫院

After existing quietly for over two decades on a Roscoe Village sidewalk in Chicago, a rodent-shaped indent became an internet sensation in 2024, when a tweet by comedian and writer, Winslow Dumaine, brought it into the public eye. The impression became known as the "Chicago Rat Hole" or "Splatatouille." In addition to offerings of coins, flowers, and other small items, the so-called rat role received the attention of some scientists, who were skeptical of the presumed origins of the impression.

Some thought it looked more like a squirrel impression than that of a rat, but, until recently, that was only speculation. Now a group of researchers has done the analysis, and their paper, in the journal Biology Letters, claims this is a case of "mistaken identity." Their findings suggest that the sidewalk impression was most likely caused by a squirrel that miscalculated a jump.

Unfortunately, the actual concrete slab holding the imprint has been moved since its rise to fame, so it was unavailable for direct measurements. So, to come to their determination, the team based their analysis on measurements from 25 different photos, using the coins in the photos for scale, and compared these measurements to museum specimens of 8 local rodent species.

The team was careful to consider variations in species measurements. They say, "To account for the unknown age of the 'Chicago Rat Hole' tracemaker, we specifically included specimens representing a broad range of body sizes to avoid prematurely dismissing the possibility of the tracemaker being a juvenile or particularly large adult. Individuals from both sexes were also tested, as the sex of the tracemaker was not known."

Using statistical analysis, they compared average sizes of each species to the proportions of the rat hole, including: snout-to-tail base length, forelimb length, third digit length, hindpaw length, head width, tail base width and 2.5 cm from tail base width.

The results showed possible matches for Eastern gray squirrels, fox squirrels, and muskrats, while all others differed significantly from the "Chicago Rat Hole" specimen. In particular, the Eastern gray squirrel proportions matched at 50.67% and the fox squirrel matched at 48.00%. They say the impression did not match brown rat measurements in any of the key anatomical features.

In addition to the rodent proportions, the study authors point out that squirrels are also more likely to be out during the daytime, when concrete is most often poured, while rats are more active at night.

One possible reason that so many people's minds jumped immediately to "rat" instead of "squirrel" upon seeing the imprint, is that what is visible of the tail appears thin and rat-like. While we may all be used to seeing the bushy tails of squirrels as they run about, the truth is that under that fur, squirrel tails are rather rat-like.

"Hair lacks the rigidity to create deep, well-defined impressions in substrates, making it less likely to leave discernible traces under typical depositional conditions. Sidewalk concrete, while capable of capturing impressions due to its initial plasticity, is not an ideal medium for preserving detailed biological features like hair. Concrete typically sets too quickly and lacks the fine-grained texture required to capture intricate details," the study authors explain.

The study authors readily acknowledge that this research is far from groundbreaking, but they view the popularity and accessibility of this topic as a way to garner public interest in science and show that it can be used for simple investigations that relate to everyday life.

"Our broader aim is to highlight that scientific inquiry begins with curiosity and observation: qualities that are not exclusive to professional scientists, but accessible to anyone with an interest in understanding the natural world," they write.

漏 2025 Science X Network