this post was submitted on 18 Oct 2025
74 points (96.2% liked)

science

22679 readers
207 users here now

A community to post scientific articles, news, and civil discussion.

rule #1: be kind

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
top 9 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 23 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Dr Wills said it had been amusing to watch the internet debate unfold, but "the answer is still no", humans will not evolve into crabs.

"The convergent evolution of crabs has happened about five times in history, but it's happened within the group of decapods."

I am skeptical

But at least four groups of decapods - including sponge crabs, porcelain crabs, king crabs and the Australian hairy stone crab - are "imposters" that have gradually transformed their shape by tucking their tail underneath.

Have we not already began this process by losing our tail? Do men not often spread their legs out as widely as possible to feel comfortable?

[–] dumbass@aussie.zone 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

And Italians hands constantly look like claws.

[–] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 month ago

Wait, is this how Italians can eat pasta so easily without it slipping off the fork?

[–] venusaur@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I wish they were a professor of baths

[–] aeronmelon@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

He has a PhD in Tubonomics.

[–] realitista@lemmus.org 8 points 1 month ago

He must have spent a lot of time in the bath to figure that out.

[–] iopq@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I'd rather ask a biologist

[–] JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social 3 points 1 month ago

TBC, he's a professor of Evolutionary Palaeobiology, so yes, a type of biologist.

As for the people 'hoping' that humans might one day evolve in to the sixth form of crab, he also points out that all five existing crabs developed from Decapods (10-legged arthropods). So humans already have a load of work to do simply getting to that starting line!

[–] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 2 points 1 month ago