Easter eggs are hidden surprises inserted into scientific papers sent to journals for publication by editors of the latter who are often oblivious of the fact that a joke has been perpetrated. I use them for comic relief in my lectures on writing for scientific research.

I present for your amusement in the following, a good topical example which juxtapositions a piece of baboon faeces and a narcissistic, semi-literate world leader.

Here is what must be a deathly tedious (to the uninitiated) scientific paper in a prestigious journal published by the Nature Group called "Scientific Reports" :

In the editorial notes "Change History" which is a record of the journal's editing of the manuscript/paper, the following notation appears:



What were the "unusual aspects" to Figure 1????
 

I have circled and arrowed (in orange) the item (baboon poop) which interested the editors of Scientific Reports.

When the poop was viewed under magnification, the reason why the editors thought it would be best to edit the piece of baboon poop is revealed (although they did not explain it):