The Truth About Carcinization: Internet Memes vs. Evolution
A blue crab with a yellow claw. Credit: Lee Foong Lee_Alamy Stock Photo
The internet loves the idea that "everything evolves into a crab," but the reality is more complex. Carcinization is a real evolutionary process where some crustaceans, like king crabs and true crabs, independently evolved similar features. However, it doesn’t mean all species are destined to become crabs—just that nature sometimes repeats itself.
Research Associate Joanna Wolfe (Ortega-Hernández Lab), who studies carcinization, explains in the journal Scientific American what exactly is carcinization and why you won't turn into a crab anytime soon.
"Since 2019, carcinization memes have taken on a life of their own, with “intellectual carcinization” humorously describing how ideas or trends independently emerge," said Wolfe. "But memes often misrepresent science by suggesting evolution has a goal—turning everything into crabs. In reality, evolution is a continuous, unpredictable process, not a hierarchy of “better” species."
While crab memes are fun, they shouldn’t distort our understanding of evolution. Nature isn’t about creating a single ideal form—it thrives on endless variation and adaptation.