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carcinization
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carcinization

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Also known as carcinisation

thumb|Porcelain crabs resemble true crabs, but are more closely related to [[squat lobsters and hermit crabs.]]

~8 min read

Encyclopedic overview

7 sections
Contents
  • Definition
  • Taxonomic range
  • Selective pressures and benefits
  • Decarcinisation
  • Cultural impact
  • See also
  • References

thumb|Porcelain crabs 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".

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “carcinization” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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