Crabs’ sideways walk may have evolved just once

Crabs that inherited the trait are far more species-rich, suggesting it fueled their success

A crab scurries sideways along a beach in the United Arab Emirates. Scientists have traced this distinctive gait to a single ancestor that lived roughly 200 million years ago.

Creatas Video+/Getty Images Plus

This is a human-written story voiced by AI. Got feedback? Take our survey .