•1 min read•from Marine Biology Subreddit
Forget carcinization. Limpets are the true convergent evolution queens 👑
Our take
In the realm of convergent evolution, limpets stand out as a remarkable example, often overshadowed by the more popular concept of carcinization. As a marine biologist with years of experience studying limpet shells for palaeoclimate and archaeological research, I delve into the independent evolution of the limpet body plan across numerous gastropod families over the past 500 million years. I explore how this phenomenon has perplexed taxonomists and even led to the re-coiling of a lineage, challenging traditional evolutionary principles.
| | I'm a marine biologist who spent years reading limpet shells for palaeoclimate and archaeological research. Carcinization gets all the memes, but the independent evolution of the limpet body plan happened in vast number of separate gastropod families, over 500 million years. I wrote about why it keeps happening, how it fooled taxonomists for decades, and how one lineage even managed to re-coil, challenging Dollo's law. Happy to discuss! [link] [comments] |
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Tagged with
#marine science#marine biodiversity#research collaboration#marine life databases#research datasets#limpets#carcinization#convergent evolution#marine biologist#gastropod#body plan#palaeoclimate#archaeological research#independent evolution#taxonomists#Dollo's law#lineage#evolution#shells#separate families