The holy trinity of evolution goals: Crab, Whale and Crocodile

Every time things have evolved into big cats. There are so many mammalian apex predators that have fallen into a similar body plan.

I’d like to put forward “Every time creatures have evolved into snakes”. It hasn’t happened a ton but it’s very weird that creatures have evolved to lose all of their limbs more than once.

Every time a plant evolved to trees. Trees are the super-crabs of plants. If i remember correctly, first tree like plants are from early carboniferous, super old body plan! And so many noon-trees are confused with trees...

Crocodyles probably have the most confusing taxonomy of all groups. We basically saw Crocodiles today and were like "okay these are crocodiles. Alligators, Caimans and Gharials? Not crocodiles, but they're all Crocodilians. What's this skeleton here? Sarcosuchus? Looks like a crocodilian, but nah it's not a crocodilian, but it is a Crocodylomorph, it looks like a crocodilian but it's not, but we're gonna say it's crocodile-like and just name that the wider group. What's this guy with a funny snout, Proterosuchus? Looks like a croc a bit, but the snout is weird, shall we call it a crocodylomorph? Nah... this is something else, you're just an archosaur... What are all these other animals that look like crocs but have long legs? Y'all are pseudo-crocs...." You get the idea. There are literally crocs, kinda crocs, croc-likes, proto-crocs, fake crocs etc... All of them described in relationship to how much they look like proper modern day Croc crocs, which are only crocs if they look a really specific way.

First Crabs, then turtles, now everything is evolving into CROCS?!?!?

Time for the ultimate chimera Whale-Croc-Crab. The victory of natural selection

"I am not a croc" - Richardosaurus Nixoni

This is great, but I think what’s left out of these discussions is the concepts of phylogenetic inertia and pre adaptation. Like the various stem-turtles evolved into turtle-like things because they already had the non-undulatory oar-like locomotion/swimming bauplan, so adding a shell just fit. Not to mention the existence of genetic networks- dolphins re-evolved dorsal fins to look like sharks, but did you know the genetic pathway to making dorsal fins still exists in tetrapods? As fin development has been modified to produce limbs, this is why you can get cows with an extra leg growing out of their back.

Convergent evolution seems to crop up a lot in nature. A video I'd be interested in is creatures/body features that only evolved once.

Arthropods evolving into crabs: "Finally, a worthy opponent. Our battle will be legendary!"

So on other planets, we can expect: Streamlined aquatic organisms Flat, crablike organisms Semi-aquatic, sprawling organisms

man, I love crocs and croc-like animals. as you said creatures the Choristoderans are truly remarkable, and I hope they get more attention than they already get.

Question: Is there a site we can go to where we can look up all sorts of paoleoartists all in one place? Or do we have to individually look up each one independently? I love that people work on visual depictions of creatures and I hope there is a collective library of this quality work. It's a fascinating blend of science, biology, mechanical engineering and creativity

like i knew that crocs are reptiles. and i knew that birds are basically the remaining dinosaurs but the idea that birds and crocs are both the """same family"" of reptile blew my mind. i had no idea, or at least hadnt ever digested that fact until you put it so plainly.

Here is a random off topic question, would Koolasuchus be able to survive in the Amazon rain forest?

Every time Eyes (definition: a sense organ using parts of the electromagnetic spectrum) have evolved would be a good one. I know ancestral snakes lost their eyes and then re-evolved them as just one example. It is honestly surprising how many time eyes have evolved. Also multicellularity, trunks, "going back to the water" (times groups having evolved to live on land have members evolve to live it water again) and flight (powered and gliding). One that would really interest me is the thumb (an opposable digit) and hands in general. Excellent video. Thank you.

One important group of invertebrates that has been neglected in treatments of this sort is the brachiopods, which show convergence with bivalve molluscs. They were one of the commonest groups of marine fauna in the Paleozoic, alongside the trilobites. But whereas the trilobites get a lot of attention, the brachiopods hardly get a mention, even though they have continued in reduced numbers up to the present day. They superficially resemble clams, but a clam has a left and a right shell, while brachiopods have a top and a bottom shell. The internal organs are completely different, too. Take a look and see if you find them as interesting as I do.

One suggestion I have for a future video is the evolution of rhino/rhino-like body plans.

The proboscises idea sounds fun Also, 8:40

Semi aquatic otter-beaver shaped synapsids would be interesting to look at. There are therocephalians like Procynosuchus, not to mention many different mammaliaforms and other mammal-adjacents, and afrotheres, hyaenodonts, carnivorans, ungulates, and many others just in crown mammals.

I especially love those amphibians like the Mastodonsaurus you mentioned, with tusks on their lower jaws and weird holes in their upper jaws near the nostrils. I love how when they closed their mouths, the tops of their tusks poked out the tops of those holes. 🥰

Eyes! Eyes have evolved independently so many times!

The Gharial at 11:17 had me dead 😂

Some people obsess over carcinization. I'm more of a suchization guy myself tbh.

Man if there’s one modern lineage I wish had their prehistoric diversity it would have to be Crocodilians. Such an unbelievably diverse and interesting set of reptiles. Great video!!

I like that this video is also "Every Time a Crocodyliform Evolved into Something Other Than a Crocodile." Its really interesting how diverse these animals were!

So, another title for this could be "Every time something evolved to be like a fish and regretted it"

I think you missed the Chronosuchia which are another clade of Reptilomorphs that converged on crocodillians

Now do when everything evolved into "Not a Dinosaur"(it was especially common in the Triassic)! And don't forget there's Mammals that have too(Pangolins) and likely others too. Still Great Job on The Video! :)

Yesss, another video about convergent evolution I absolutely love this videos, AND it’s a long one, AND about my favourite reptiles; now I have the perfect video to watch while I eat, haha. Thank you! ❤

Your idea for a video about evolution of trunks is pretty neat! Here I present some ideas for another videos like that: 1- Everytime things evolved into "theropods". We know that some pseudosuchians have presented bipedal predator bodyplans, also herrerasaurids and cariamas and secretary birds (those even redeveloped the claw in the foot). 2- Everytime things evolved into "fishes". It's well known that ichthyosaurs and cetaceans have convergently achieved a fish-like body plan. But some invertebrates (sea-slugs and cephalochordates) have done it so. 3- Everytime things evolved into "anteaters". Here we have anteaters, aardwolves, aardvarks, pangolins, that marsupial thing in Australia, that silly dinosaur with just one claw in it's hand... 4- Everytime things evolved gliding. This one would be a mess...

Guy swimming: *GASP* A crocodile Creature: Don't worry, I'm a temnyspondil. **CHOMP**

I love cases of convergent evolution, they are so fascinating! Please do more!

Crocodile drinking game. Take a drink every time the word Suchia is said.

This series is awesome, looking forward to the next part

You are doing a fine job of this series and I am certainly enjoying it. There is such a range of things you can do regarding convergent evolution. Flying is a convergent aspect that I for one am particularly interested in.

Fascinatingly informative and well presented 👍👍

“U-THICK-A-DON” 😂

I’m really glad this video exists for personal reasons, as I’m currently working on a crocodilian paper that I hope to one day publish. I say this because, along with the observation of convergent evolution between river dolphins and crocodilians, both in terms of the elongated snout and homodont dentition, by complete coincidence, I ended up stumbling upon both a heterodont crocodilian and odontocete (toothed whale) that were contemporaries and lived in the same formation, meaning there could’ve been an overlap in available prey. These are the crocodilian Thecachampsa sericodon (the genus of which is the focus of this paper), and odontocete genus Squalodon. The latter genus is significant in that it is either a Platanistoid, the same superfamily as the south Asian river dolphins, or is at least closely related to Platanistoids. I just find it pretty funny that a ‘river dolphin’ and a crocodilian both evolved a different diet compared to other members of their respective clades, yet still ended up competing with each other. Honestly, a video about the convergent evolution with Odontocetes alone would be very interesting, as the taxonomic relation of many extinct genera remains divisive.

Another awesome installment guys! Love these longer videos!!😉👍

Triassic animals just would not stop evolving into crocs would they. anyway this is an official temnospondyl appreciation post.

Everything evolving into crocs, crabs, and snakes:

Crabs and "crabs" - *FINALLY. A WORTHY OPPONENT. OUR BATTLE WILL BE LEGENDARY.*

This and "Clint's Reptiles" is a good example of convergence. I watch both.

Fascinating - there's a few here I've never heard of before. Thank you.

Another good topic would be all the times mammals have evolved to be otters- the ancestors of seals looked like otters (and for some reason the otter-like forms didn't persist), some related stem-pinnipeds looked like otters (also didn't persist), and of course otters themselves; then there are the Mesozoic docodonts; and maybe the water opossum? It's kind of odd that the whales never looked very otter-like- again an interesting entree into phylogenetic constraint in creating 'convergent' evolution!

great informative video!!! also that shirt is cool

"There are always crocodiles" Terry Pratchett The Long Earth series

i'd love to see Every Time Things Have Evolved Into Rhinos, as well. its strange how often mammals have evolved heavily built, low browsing/grasing herbivorous forms with (or without) nasal horns or similar features: rhinos, titanotheres, uintatheres, arsinoiitheres, some toxodonts etc. plus you can expand that to include ceratopsians and some wierd dinocephlaians like struthiocephalus

Very nice video. Good job!

Great video, but there were two other groups that weren't mentioned. The Proterochampsia were archosauromorphs who also converged on the crocodile body plan including armor, but they may have been more terrestrial than aquatic. The other were the Proterosuchidae with their hooked jaws which appeared at the end of Walking With Monsters.

Very nice, please continue this series. These are very interesting so Cheers to you, Los Angeles

Awesome vid, i’m subbed👍

8:41 That group seems a bit...sus... On a more serious note, another interesting one would be "Every time things have evolved into macro-theropods". The earlier mentioned Popsaurids and Planocraniids, and multiple species of Phorusrhacids for instance all seem to have ended up with this similar body-plan.

Wow! Such a great video!

Love your knowledge and love your shirt 👕

Thoroughly researched, good pace, well articulated speech, copious iconography, clear credits to the illustrations... A fine production.

Hell the croc design is so successful if you really think about it, Hippos are basically mammalian herbivore croc.

mustelification is pretty obscure

Oh awesome, I love convergence on crocodylian affinities, I also love convergent piscivory, as seen in the skull morphology of Unenlagiinelid and Spinosaurid theropods ❤❤

very in-depth and interesting kept my attention for 37 minutes which is not easy now days

I've always thought that Crocodylomorph and Proboscidean evolution mirrored each other in the fact that the fossils are so different seeming, and yet the extant forms are more basic.

It blew my mind when I learned that animals we consider 'Living Fossil's' actually aren't the same animals we find in the Fossil record in terms of their DNA!

Also Saberteeth would be cool as well as it's fairly common in the past but not in the present. :)

Convergent evolution: if it works, it works, and things are gonna evolve to look like stuff that existed before

Flightless seafaring birds Great Auk Hesperornithes Plotopteridae Sphenisciformes

I like how the age of Crocodile ancestors is almost all crocs except the actual croc niche is filled by something that isn't a croc at all.

I love these kinds of videos!!!!!🔥

17:00 Florida man: This will never stop me from getting into the water

Having seen crocodiles feeding & hunting in wildlife documentaries so many times & featured in alot of _"creature feature"_ films i used to watch on TV since i was little. They have always been my favorite group of living reptiles (apart from birds & squamates). Just the sheer diversity & resilience of this group of having to survive multiple mass extinction events is also truly an outstanding & remarkable feat!

Convergent Evolution is the OG of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

The extinction of the mekosuchines is a damn shame. Mekosuchus inexpectus would have been way too cute and quinkana fortistrum would be too cool. I would so much love to see one in the wild. Even if the chance of losing a limb whilst bush walking is increased exspentually.

Thanks!

0:35 He is a robust, flat-snouted, semi-aquatic reptile of action!

finally you talked about Temnospondyls! (especially the trematosaurs; those are so cool and unique!)

Convergent evolution is my favorite aspect of the whole science. Returning to water is my favorite of those. But, I'm very fascinated by the various suchids. Would love even more.

Convergent evolution towards ground sloths: chalicotheres, gorillas, gigantopithecus, pandas, therizinosaurs, giant sloth lemur, more?

A herbivorous crocodilian is one of the most surreal things I’ve ever heard of. I wish they were still around tbh!

Been waiting for the "croc niche" vid for a while, now it's here!

this video just made me remember probably my favorite reptile family; erythrosuchidae. They are just lovely croc-shaped reptiles with heads largely disproportionate to their body hhh. Really a delight to look at. I have such a hard time finding information on them and i would love to have them talked about in a video some day!

So that's why my slippers went missing. They just evolved into crocs

Yay! Amazon River Dolphins are 1 of my 4 favorite animals. I'm glad they were mentioned! X3

Well done as usual. It might be also be emphasised that convergent evolution exists at many levels of genetic difference. A close one that comes to mind is ducks and grebes. Both birds, but not especially close within _Aves,_ who evolved a very similar aquatic lifestyle, but with rather different paddling feet. Keep up the good work. Cheers from sunny Vienna, Scott

Please do the Phylliroe, one of the most amazing examples of convergent evolution and there isn't a lot of info about it out there. Keep up the good work 👍

Very detailed exploration of the taxon. 🤙

17:44 that looks more like a giant salamander.

Wonderful job .

Love the shirt this week! It goes great with the podcasts on maritime animals and their environment. Hint: Expand your store and design shirts, with printed family trees, the eras in grunge Flintstones' fonts or convergent species and school bags related to the content. Then merch them within the presentation, especially on children's sizes. Re video, you and the team produce better content than absolutely anything on mass produced for TV that are 75% fluff stories and TV personality fillers.

What about Proterosuchidae? Can they also be considered convergent to crocodiles?

If you’re up for it, cartilage skeletons is another interesting convergent evolution case

Can’t wait to show how many crab body plans that are known to have developed.

Prehistoric animals: * _has long tapered snout full of conical teeth and likely ate fish_ * Paleontologists: "I diagnose you with gharial"

Phytosaurs mentioned 🔥🔥🔥🔥

I really enjoyed this video, and I thank you for creating it! I also cannot resist mentioning a speculative class of animals that MAY exist today, in the lakes of British Columbia. There are many reports, past and present, of huge, salamander-like animals living in several cold, northern lake environments in this province. I do not know, of course, how true said reports may be, but it delights me to think that, just possibly, we may share the earth with giant amphibians! From the reports I've read these north-American salamanders dwarf the huge giant salamanders of Japan and China, reaching lengths of well over ten feet. It's an exciting topic to contemplate, don't you think? All the best to you, N.

Finally phytosaurs getting some love

this is a great video

Do 'everytime an animal evolved a beak or bill'! Always wondered about this!

Do the evolution of hands next!

Every time Crocodilians Decided to say fuck it we ball and become scary