• propter_hog [any, any]
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    98 days ago

    So in addition to crabification, we also have antification. Evolution really just found an energy minima at eight legs, huh?

    • fox [comrade/them]
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      78 days ago

      It’s more that the lobster plan (long body) is really quite good in many niches, but the crab plan (wide body, no exposed tail) works better in more productive ecosystems that have more predators. So anything lobster shaped coming up from the deep mud will have to reduce its tail or get sniped by a fish

    • Ephera
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      28 days ago

      Proper ants only have 6 legs, though. But yeah, these spiders-turned-to-ants would have 8 legs.

      Well, and crabs technically have 10 legs, with their foremost pair typically equipped with pincers. 🙃

      • @Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de
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        27 days ago

        i’m sure there’s at least one ant-mimicking spider that has turned their front legs into extra quasi-pedipalps to blend in better, getting rid of limbs is super easy in evolution (that’s where antennae and the existing pedipalps come from, and spinnerets too i presume)