Carcinization (or carcinisation) is an example of convergent evolution in which a crustacean evolves into a crab-like form from a non-crab-like form. What is so special about being a crab? What can we learn from this?
What is carcinization?
The term was introduced into evolutionary biology by L. A. Borradaile, who described it as “one of the many attempts of Nature to evolve a crab.
What is the possibility of having a particular species evolve into crabs at five different points in evolution. Parallel evolution occurs naturally, but the one species that seems to have figured it out and done it multiple times seem to be crabs. Repeating similar evolution makes it interesting.
Why? In simple terms, crabs figured out the easiest way to survive both as a species and as individual entities and shed off what was too much of customization, could not be optimized & evolved – even though some went back to their earlier forms!
It is all about flexibility!
Anyone interested in knowing more about carcinization can learn more from this video below!
Now, mankind will not go back to crabs. However, a similar species in the vicinity like a lobster / hermit crab become a normal bulky round crab.
Now, let us come to our day to day scenarios and what we can learn from it – as individuals. As a species we probably have been adapting for quite a few thousand years!
Remember this scene from Pirates of the carribean?
One crab communicating with the others – drumming sounds, humming & waiving their pincers
Other crabs seem to take it as a leader communicating and follow suit!
Moving a huge ship smoothly on sand must have been an unimaginable task for others, whereas the crabs together seemed to make it easy, simple and doable! Simple steps & great teamwork to get through!
Anyone interested in watching the scene from Pirates of the Carribean ->
What can we learn from crabs?
The one skill that we all need at this juncture is to be able to survive through the crisis. Crabs are resilient and unwilling to give up. They pay attention and get in tune with the environment. They are a sign of endurance and strength. They move from one place to another in search of food and opportunities. They work well in groups helping their species survive through tough times, and yet retain their individual need to survive through crisis as well. They remind us to wear our protective armor when we need to, if we feel the situation needs us to protect ourselves.
Crabs have high survival skills. When they feel they are in danger, they can go underground, use their pincers to fight off, hide under their crusty shells, can live off of algae, plankton and fungi (not picky eaters at all – anything to survive). They have a tendency to put up a fight for what they want / need to survive.
People who are survivors / fighters in life
Typically, people who are fighters or survivors in life would have some connection to Cancer sign (12 houses of the Zodiac). Their ability to survive through thick and thin and fight it out to succeed makes them the perfect for the job. Imagine if they are running a household, are mothers, are leaders in organizations, have suffered a health crisis – their basic survival instincts kick in and they do whatever is necessary to survive. Organizations typically have many in the leadership roles having a connection to the Cancer sign (many planets in it, Ascendant, Sun Sign, Moon sign). They pave a path that no one could have ever imagined, and make it happen.
So, when we are facing a difficult situation in life and do not know how to progress forward, tap into the crab like nature to figure out a way to survive! The ideas, options, paths and mechanisms you can come up with will be unique, will work for you, and you can make it through!