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Horseshoe theory
Submitted 7 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to science_memes@mander.xyz
https://mander.xyz/pictrs/image/b9762644-f2fc-4e75-bc4f-c9dc70a881dd.jpeg
Comments
casmael@lemm.ee 7 months ago
ApathyTree@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 months ago
So like I know horseshoe crabs have been around nearly unchanged and all. And good for them!
But are you (general you, not op specifically) really trying to tell me that not once in their entire historical span of time on earth… not one single time did anything evolve from a horseshoe crab?
Clearly I’m not saying the whole species changed, but that is separate from an offshoot population evolving into something different. Which surely must have happened, no?
ItsAFake@lemmus.org 7 months ago
one single time did anything evolve from a horseshoe crab?
We don’t talk about those cowards.
theneverfox@pawb.social 7 months ago
Weirdly enough, evolution isn’t random - it follows rules. We’re still figuring out what those rules are, but it does in fact reach a certain point, then lock down the genes.
Horseshoe crabs are chemically incredible, they’re extremely resilient and physically pretty good for their niche
Maybe they are a genetic endpoint
ApathyTree@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 months ago
Do you have any citations for that?
I’m not saying you are wrong, because I’m open to new information, but that’s not ever been my understanding of how evolution works, and I’ve read a ton on the topic.
Evolution continues even if a species doesn’t obviously change over time. Unless it’s an asexual reproducing species, gene recombination ensures some level of diversity, and more opportunity for novel traits. But even a clonally reproducing species have a chance for mutations, they are just significantly more likely to be detrimental than useful.
flambonkscious@sh.itjust.works 7 months ago
Wait, so it’s stops before ‘the heat death of the universe’? That’s bizarre!
Flyberius@hexbear.net 7 months ago
It probably did, you are right. Also, what about internal stuff. Who is to say that their plumbing hasn’t evolved considerably over the eons?
Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml 7 months ago
No reason to evolve if you’re already a crab.
ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Two things: first, horseshoe crabs almost certainly have changed/evolved considerably over four hundred million years, just in aspects of their physiology that aren’t fossilized. Second, horseshoe crabs have like nine different types of eyes; even that tail is essentially one big eye, covered in photoreceptive cells. We humans consider ourselves the “dominant” species, but I don’t think we could handle crawling around in slime and mud for four hundred million years quite as well as they have.
Johanno@feddit.de 7 months ago
Nah we drain the mud and build a road on it to run over our children. Much better.
PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee 7 months ago
Why aren’t these things considered Trilobites exactly? They look like Trilobites and I’m pretty sure they fill some of the same general niches? Is it just a taxonomical thing? Are they just not in the right clade?
omxxi@feddit.de 7 months ago
brisk@aussie.zone 7 months ago
This reads like it was written by an LLM
Pipoca@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Not in the right clade, basically.
They look similar, but aren’t directly related. It’s similar to why legless lizards aren’t snakes, and bats aren’t birds.
apolo399@lemmy.world 7 months ago
But snakes are legless lizards. Link to youtube
alien@lemm.ee [bot] 7 months ago
Even the speech bubbles look like them
sylveon@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 months ago
Obligatory individuals don’t evolve, populations do.
I know it’s just a silly meme but misconceptions about evolution unfortunately seem to be pretty widespread.
giffybiss@lemmygrad.ml 7 months ago
if individuals don’t evolve then explain why I jave a Charizard.
whereBeWaldo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 months ago
Aren’t these the guys who drink blueberry smoothies?
Dumbkid@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 months ago
Yeah then they go down the waterslide
ExfilBravo@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Who knew horseshoe crabs were the Pikachu’s of the sea?
alphapuggle@programming.dev 7 months ago
CloutAtlas@hexbear.net 7 months ago
What? They evolve into Kabutops.
Zerush@lemmy.ml 7 months ago
Perfection is the end of evolution
snooggums@midwest.social 7 months ago
When humanity found out how long horseshoes crabs had been around, unchanging and perfect, they decided to name their divine human leaders after them.
That is why royalty are called ‘blue-bloods’.
Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 7 months ago
I was taught it was because nobility were the only pale Spaniards in the middle ages, so they were the only people whose skin showed through the blue color of the veins. So they claimed their blue blood showed their divine right to royalty.
threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 7 months ago
Would this not be the other way around? Blue veins show through the skin?
Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml 7 months ago
Blue-blooded means inbread.
Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml 7 months ago
Sacre-bleu!