Two things: first, horseshoe crabs almost certainly have changed/evolved considerably over four hundred million years, just in aspects of their physiology that aren’t fossilized. Second, horseshoe crabs have like nine different types of eyes; even that tail is essentially one big eye, covered in photoreceptive cells. We humans consider ourselves the “dominant” species, but I don’t think we could handle crawling around in slime and mud for four hundred million years quite as well as they have.

When humanity found out how long horseshoes crabs had been around, unchanging and perfect, they decided to name their divine human leaders after them.

That is why royalty are called ‘blue-bloods’.

So like I know horseshoe crabs have been around nearly unchanged and all. And good for them!

But are you (general you, not op specifically) really trying to tell me that not once in their entire historical span of time on earth… not one single time did anything evolve from a horseshoe crab?

Clearly I’m not saying the whole species changed, but that is separate from an offshoot population evolving into something different. Which surely must have happened, no?

Aren’t these the guys who drink blueberry smoothies?

Obligatory individuals don’t evolve, populations do.

I know it’s just a silly meme but misconceptions about evolution unfortunately seem to be pretty widespread.

Even the speech bubbles look like them

No reason to evolve if you’re already a crab.

You • may • not • like • it • but • this • is • what • peak • performance • looks • like 🦀

Why aren’t these things considered Trilobites exactly? They look like Trilobites and I’m pretty sure they fill some of the same general niches? Is it just a taxonomical thing? Are they just not in the right clade?

Perfection is the end of evolution, it’s a far predecessor of spiders and scorpions

Who knew horseshoe crabs were the Pikachu’s of the sea?