In hindsight, one wonders why we know so little about these few important moments. We often know more about fruit flies and mice.

It's easy to have a positive outcome in the procedure. Model nature.

This would never ever have struck me until reading this.

"Model nature" always. Animals don't cut, do they?

It's odd that people never questioned why the afterbirth doesn't come until some time after the birth. Maybe the placenta and umbilical cord aren't quite finished with their job to prepare the infant for the outside world.

And only a minute can make a big difference. The cord usually pulsates for about a minute.
I watched a young wilderbeast on TV, born and running within four minutes. Hyenas all about and a five minute old calf had to outrun them. Amazing. Didn't notice the umbilical cord. He probably didn't either. Talk about survival of the fittest.