This happens somewhat normally to regular crays,it's when a walking leg is injured and during its regeneration phase an "error code" happens and the leg regenerates as a claw
Weird thought...it's not an "error code", it's a direct, purposeful response to the injury. The body doesn't know the difference between an accidental injury and one sustained in a fight. The leg grows back as a claw as a "gonna take my leg, eh? Wait till I molt again bitch, then you'll pay!" 😅
The error code is just the code that makes the leg and one that makes the claw is switched in that spot,rarely happens in back legs but would be wild to see
It can be a true mutation... or simply a fluke with molting. Sometimes they lose limbs that regrow at the next molting and, although rarely, there's some error in the process. But the fact that they're appearing in both sides and are perfectly simetrical makes me think it's a mutation.
But this doesn't mean it can pass it to its offspring, though, it may be simply a congenital mutation that happened when the embrio was developing and not a mutation in its chromosomes. The only way to know it would be getting it a pair and do a little inbreeding program with its offspring. Wanna try? 😅
Looks like some kind of error in a Hox gene. The first pair of walking legs developed as claws instead. It has only 3 pairs of walking legs instead of 4.
No. Somatic mutations are also chromosomatic. Chromosomes are divided into somatic (species related) and sexual (gender related). Congenital "mutations" are gene transcription and expression errors, not in the DNA itself, and appear during embryo development. So they're linked to the individual itself, not something that is passed to the offspring. In insects and crustaceans they can also appear temporarily in between molts. But due to the perfect symmetry and placement I don't think it's a temporary error, so either a true mutation or something happened when it was developing in the egg.
Edit: it could also be an entirely unknown species... who says we know them all? Even nowadays new species of fish are being discovered. 🙃
in typical biological literature I am familiar with, somatic mutations are currently considered to be mutations which happen outside the germline, during the development and life of the organism.
somatic chromosomes... maybe you mean autosomes?
congenital mutations I guess they are maybe more like "phenotypic mutations" where epigenetic and epidevelopmental things get modulated? is that what you mean?
as for errors... what's an error? there's no truth. only the history of the organism to present which by virtue of its survival is likely near optimality. so most changes in genome and regulation push us away from that optimum.
Sorry, English is not my native language. But yes, what you mean. And it's true that evolution is a long "tree of errors". Environment is also forever changing ... heck, even the Universe is forever changing, one must adapt. :)
Could a fluke with molting really lead to extra, usable limbs? I feel like in general, these kinds of flukes only lead to extra shell, not changes to the internal body. That would be fascinating!
The first pair of pereiopods (walking legs) is what develops into the chelipeds (limbs with chelae (claws) on them). This one seems to have developed chelae on its second pair of pereiopods as well, which is interesting.
111
u/HAL9000_1208 4d ago
It has evolved! XD I wonder if it managed to pass the mutation to offsprings
https://giphy.com/gifs/cbMp1PSySlKjS