Sideways Walking in Crabs Traced to Single Ancestor 200 Million Years Ago
Fast facts
- Category: Science
- Language: EN
- Published: 2026-05-02 09:56 UTC
- Sources: Science Daily
Evolutionary biologists have determined that the iconic sideways gait of modern crabs originated from a single ancestral species about 200 million years ago. Phylogenetic analysis shows that most crab lineages inherited this locomotion, which likely offered rapid, unpredictable movement to evade predators. The finding illustrates a rare case of a single behavioral innovation dominating an entire clade.