Lesson plan
Carcinisation
s resemble true crabs, but are more closely related to squat lobsters and hermit crabs. Carcinisation (American English: carcinization) is a form of convergent evolution in which non-crab crustaceans evolve a crab-like body plan. The term was introduced into evolutionary biology by Lancelot Alexander Borradaile, who described it in 1916 as "the many attempts of Nature to evolve a crab". Carcinisation has been observed most often in species of infraorder Anomura, and is characterized by a flattened and widened carapace, fused sternites, and a bent and flattened pleon. It is hypothesized to offer the selective advantages of protecting vital organs and allowing organisms to more easily escape predators on the ocean floor. An obscure phenomenon for much of the time since its discovery, carcinisation has become more widely known since 2019, having been the subject of a popular internet meme.
Article summary
s resemble true crabs, but are more closely related to squat lobsters and hermit crabs. Carcinisation (American English: carcinization) is a form of convergent evolution in which non-crab crustaceans evolve a crab-like body plan. The term was introduced into evolutionary biology by Lancelot Alexander Borradaile, who described it in 1916 as "the many attempts of Nature to evolve a crab". Carcinisation has been observed most often in species of infraorder Anomura, and is characterized by a flattened and widened carapace, fused sternites, and a bent and flattened pleon. It is hypothesized to offer the selective advantages of protecting vital organs and allowing organisms to more easily escape predators on the ocean floor. An obscure phenomenon for much of the time since its discovery, carcinisation has become more widely known since 2019, having been the subject of a popular internet meme.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.