Crab Memes Amplify Mistaken Ideas about Evolution

Crab Memes amplifies wrong ideas about evolution

By Joanna Wolfe Edited And Vergano

You have seen memes: “Everything will eventually Evolved in a scented“Or” The crab is an ideal form “- they are in the scroll line. They are parodies of a real scientific concept, kargrination. In biology, this term describes the evolutionary process where the shapes that look like a crab appeared at least five times within crustaceans. But in the popular culture, the word is safe evolved into a new meaning.

Since he was Meme explosion Starting in 2019, the word “carcinization” has been crushed “one thing that happens a few times.” Memes created a new wave “intellectual carcinization”, describing the situation that settled in the same idea in the same idea. It is nice to refer to crabs to how some self-employed self-companies change, or how social media operators make a similar style.

Unfortunately, these memes have faulty assumptions that lead to public misunderstanding of science. As a biologist examining karcinization, I worry that this confusion harmed people with the past mistakes of the evolutionary theory.

To help Science Journalism

If you enjoy this article, consider entering award-winning journalism Subscribe. By purchasing subscription, you are helping to ensure the future of stories about the discoveries and ideas that are conformed to today.

In evolutionary carcinization, DecAPOD crustaceans (shrimp, prawns and crabs) multiple groups developed a flat and round carpute in the form of Karblike, and the abdomen folded under the body. They are king crabs Very different group From real crabs, almost 300 million annual evolution, starting with a separate hermit crab group. Although all the tribes developed in the form of crab still within crustaceans (Sorry, you are not personally evolved in a crab), stretched their ordinary ancestors and maybe changing lobsters over and over time.

CARCINIZATION is just an example of a biological / evolution phenomenon called Converging evolutionsSpecific-related species evolve similar characteristics to respond to similar environmental challenges. How the wings evolved One by one in birds and batsand Camera eyes evolve Vertebrates and octopuses. Convergence is not limited to the form; Even in your morning coffee or tea coffee evolved separately in these plants (And at least three other plants)!

That’s the darwinar version of evolution. But there is a nucleus of truth in the notion of “intellectual carcinisation” because culture also evolves. People’s behaviors exceed generations by teaching them instead of DNA. We can use the same methods of study as evolutionary biologists to see the different model Languages ​​have changed and spread over timeor Technology settings More than “generations” (new phone model every year, anyone?). Trends and perhaps some of the process of cultural evolution resembles the evolution of Darwinia. But cause is not the same. Things we think and do are the result of the decisions that humans have made.

Why should we take care of this distinction? Well, crabs’ ancestors didn’t resolve to fold their bodies. As in any body, mutations produced a natural variation in genes. These small genetic changes cause certain changes, and others were not affected, they passed through each generation and filtered Natural selection. This wasn’t always a random process because Krablike forms could be similar circumstances (in this case Intentionally quite However, if there is a specific problem, the Crab body solves the lobster, for example). However, at least five times in the last 300 million years, the crabs were proven that the final form, or would not happen, right?

Not yet. Some species are in his adventure, and special features shared with others are evolving. For example, who eats It has moving fingers with no other lemur; apparently uses Choose your nose. If the same adaptations have always been optimal, such rare were not existed (or they would be extended). Also among the crabs, a round signature and the body is not universal. The seven tribes evolved to turn a craby look like a little time ago, they have evolved long limbs in the abdomen, no more capable of the situation “Decentralizimization. “Some types of condemned crab, similar frog crabsBurrow in sediment, where the body can be beneficial to look like a torpedo. So the shape of the crab is not bigger.

The big problem lies in the metaphor caused by memes. Some carcinization memories explicitly indicate that Evolution aims to convert other species into crabs. That’s wrong. When we use words that indicate some organisms, they are “final forms”, which is supposed to be genetically superior than others. It is not like this, because there are millions of species adapted to environments that have not already become crabs. The world is always changing, so some species will disappear inevitably. But the disappearance is not a value verdict. If we assume that Darwinian evolution is directed from the goals, then they are not applied to our naughty. “Nature loves the slope” is the slippery slope, “crabs are better than others, then some people could also be.” Unfortunately, that too Eugenic basisused by natural selection False justification To make massive sterilization of people considered “unwilling” in the last century. To be clear, there is no prevalence of converging evolution to support discrimination or eugenika.

We humans have certainly learned from convergent evolutions. Virus repeatedly evolve the same mutations In different variants, because our immune response must escape to repeat. We can use this information to help design new drugs and vaccines. Humans know only how to choose nature change when choosing our choice. However, something important is that we can learn from crabs (and about meme): a stunning variation of lifestyles and forms on our planet.

This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views indicated by the author or authors are not necessarily American scientific.