Joel Kontinen
"True to their name, stick insects are famous for their spindly legs and lithe brown or green bodies that let them blend in with their environments. Males are typically much smaller than females. But tree lobsters—which include New Guinea’s thorny devil (Eurycantha calcarata) and the Lord Howe Island stick insect (Dryococelus australis)—are a glaring exception.
Giant, cigar-size males sport thick hind legs tipped with powerful spines. Now, researchers know why these tree lobsters bulk up:"
No, it’s not caused by evolution; it’s a natural scheme to get the best girl or wives, As a article on Nautilus states: that animals “might have been genetically complex from the start … complex body parts evolved multiple times and had also been lost.”
The tree insects wanted to be big and strong, That is the explanation, no evolution involved here.
Source:
Pennisi, Elizabeth. 2019. Thorny devils grow giant legs to pin rivals.
Science (25 June)
Posts
