{
  "wireMagic": "pb3",
  "pens": [ {
  
  } ],
  "wsWinStyles": [ {
  
  } ],
  "wpWinPositions": [ {
  
  } ],
  "events": [ {
    "tStartMs": 0,
    "dDurationMs": 2880,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Remember all those internet \nmemes about how every animal,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 2880,
    "dDurationMs": 2960,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "including humans, will \neventually turn into a crab?"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 5840,
    "dDurationMs": 1680,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "They’re only mostly wrong."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 7520,
    "dDurationMs": 4800,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Evolution has indeed mutated multiple \ncrustacean species into a crab-like form."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 12320,
    "dDurationMs": 2080,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "It’s a process called carcinization,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 14400,
    "dDurationMs": 3120,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "and scientists know it’s \nhappened a whopping…five times."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 17520,
    "dDurationMs": 1680,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Yeah, only five."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 19200,
    "dDurationMs": 1280,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Which is why I’m here today:"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 20480,
    "dDurationMs": 3760,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "to share that while it might be fun to \npicture your descendants scuttling around,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 24240,
    "dDurationMs": 4800,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "going pinchy with their claws, the \nmemes should really look like this."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 29040,
    "dDurationMs": 4411,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Because even more than crabs, evolution \nkeeps turning things into ant-eaters."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 33451,
    "dDurationMs": 3497,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "[♪ INTRO]"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 36948,
    "dDurationMs": 1852,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "We all know what a crab looks like."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 38800,
    "dDurationMs": 3280,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Ten legs; a wide, flat, rock-hard shell;"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 42080,
    "dDurationMs": 4240,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "an abdomen completely curled \nunderneath said shell; no visible tail."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 46320,
    "dDurationMs": 2480,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "And of course, those snippy-snippy pincers."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 48800,
    "dDurationMs": 2880,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "But if you’ve ever drowned a \nbit of king crab in butter…"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 51680,
    "dDurationMs": 1760,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "you weren’t actually eating a crab."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 53440,
    "dDurationMs": 3280,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "And if you’ve ever had a pet hermit crab…sorry."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 56720,
    "dDurationMs": 1120,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Also not a crab."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 57840,
    "dDurationMs": 2560,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Yes, I realize the word is in their name."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 60400,
    "dDurationMs": 3600,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "And sure, they do have a \nsuspiciously similar body plan."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 64000,
    "dDurationMs": 2880,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "But that’s just two examples \nof carcinization in action."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 66880,
    "dDurationMs": 3840,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "See, true crabs fall under the \ntaxonomic suborder Brachyura,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 70720,
    "dDurationMs": 4080,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "and they include species like fiddler \ncrabs, spider crabs, and blue crabs."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 74800,
    "dDurationMs": 4400,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Meanwhile, both king and hermit crabs are \nclassified under the suborder Anomura,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 79200,
    "dDurationMs": 1920,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "a.k.a. the “false crabs”."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 81120,
    "dDurationMs": 2880,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Members of Anomura may look \nlike true crabs at a glance,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 84000,
    "dDurationMs": 2880,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "but there are a few obvious \ndifferences if you know your stuff."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 86880,
    "dDurationMs": 3360,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "For example, true crabs use \nfour pairs of legs to walk,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 90240,
    "dDurationMs": 2240,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "while false crabs only use three."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 92480,
    "dDurationMs": 2640,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "You can also distinguish the \nplacement of their antennae,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 95120,
    "dDurationMs": 2400,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "whether their shell is fully fused or segmented,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 97520,
    "dDurationMs": 2800,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "and whether their tucked-up tails \nhave a little fan on the end."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 100320,
    "dDurationMs": 2240,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "The last common ancestor of both these groups"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 102560,
    "dDurationMs": 3120,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "probably lived around 250 million years ago."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 105680,
    "dDurationMs": 3360,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "It also may have looked more \nlike a lobster than a crab."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 109040,
    "dDurationMs": 4640,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Then eventually, we hit what scientists \ncall the “Cretaceous Crab Revolution.”"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 113680,
    "dDurationMs": 3280,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "If you’re thinking “hey that \nsounds like a great band name”,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 116960,
    "dDurationMs": 1120,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "you’re not alone."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 118080,
    "dDurationMs": 1440,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "There’s already a band called that."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 119520,
    "dDurationMs": 5440,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Between roughly 145 and 66 million \nyears ago, crab diversity exploded."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 124960,
    "dDurationMs": 3280,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "And from that revolution onward, \nbasically any creature that evolved"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 128240,
    "dDurationMs": 3600,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "crab-like features, but didn’t \nevolve from a Brachyura ancestor,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 131840,
    "dDurationMs": 1120,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "counts as a false crab."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 132960,
    "dDurationMs": 3600,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "All this carcinization is yet another \nexample of convergent evolution,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 136560,
    "dDurationMs": 2960,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "where unrelated species evolve \nsimilar characteristics."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 139520,
    "dDurationMs": 3040,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Scientists don’t know exactly \nwhy evolving to look like a crab"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 142560,
    "dDurationMs": 3440,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "is such an evolutionary go-to, but \nthere are certainly plenty of perks."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 146000,
    "dDurationMs": 3200,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "For example, the general form \nslots pretty easily into a bunch of"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 149200,
    "dDurationMs": 3280,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "different environmental niches, and \nit’s quite a protective body shape."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 152480,
    "dDurationMs": 2560,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "After all, if you don’t have \na big ol’ tail sticking out,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 155040,
    "dDurationMs": 2640,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "that’s one less thing for a \npredator to monch down on."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 157680,
    "dDurationMs": 1760,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "And all those appendages could provide you"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 159440,
    "dDurationMs": 2400,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "an evolutionary Swiss army knife of sorts."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 161840,
    "dDurationMs": 4480,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "You could dig; you could swim; you \ncould scuttle; you could…climb trees."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 166320,
    "dDurationMs": 2400,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Yes, some crabs can climb trees."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 168720,
    "dDurationMs": 1520,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "I am only slightly terrified."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 170240,
    "dDurationMs": 3760,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Crabs and crab-like species have made \nit work in a wide variety of habitats,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 174000,
    "dDurationMs": 2320,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "from underwater caves to mountain streams."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 176320,
    "dDurationMs": 3120,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "As I mentioned earlier, scientists \nestimate that carcinization"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 179440,
    "dDurationMs": 3600,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "happened five separate times, \nover the last 250 million years."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 183040,
    "dDurationMs": 2560,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "To which the ant-eaters throw \ntheir heads back and laugh."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 185600,
    "dDurationMs": 3280,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Because in less than half that \ntime, they’ve managed to evolve"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 188880,
    "dDurationMs": 4160,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "twelve separate times…despite scientists \nnot having come up with a name for it."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 193040,
    "dDurationMs": 2640,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Now, I should clarify that when I say “anteater”,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 195680,
    "dDurationMs": 2320,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "I’m not just talking about the long-haired,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 198000,
    "dDurationMs": 3120,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "long nosed inspiration for the Pokémon Heatmor."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 201120,
    "dDurationMs": 3760,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "I’m talking about the \ntaxonomic suborder Vermilingua."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 204880,
    "dDurationMs": 3760,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "I’m also talking about Arthur the \nAardvark, Knuckles the Echidna,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 210320,
    "dDurationMs": 2720,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "and…uh…whatever fictional character \nsomeone’s turned a pangolin into."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 213040,
    "dDurationMs": 3440,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "So if on one hand you’ve got \ntrue crabs and false crabs,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 216480,
    "dDurationMs": 2720,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "I guess on the other you’ve got true anteaters"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 219200,
    "dDurationMs": 2400,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "and false anteaters which also eat ants."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 221600,
    "dDurationMs": 4000,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Also they all eat termites, which isn’t \nincorporated into the name at all."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 225600,
    "dDurationMs": 3200,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Because the technical term for \nthis behaviour is myrmecophagy,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 228800,
    "dDurationMs": 2080,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "which is Greek for ant-eating."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 230880,
    "dDurationMs": 3360,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Animals that exhibit myrmecophagy \nare called myrmecophages."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 234240,
    "dDurationMs": 2800,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Myrmecophagy likely evolved so \nanimals could take advantage"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 237040,
    "dDurationMs": 2000,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "of a super abundant nutrient source."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 239040,
    "dDurationMs": 3360,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Ants and termites are chock \nfull of proteins and lipids."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 242400,
    "dDurationMs": 1760,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "And they’ve also got some sugars, too."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 244160,
    "dDurationMs": 2400,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Together, these two types of insect make up about"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 246560,
    "dDurationMs": 3280,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "45% of the Earth’s total \nterrestrial insect biomass."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 249840,
    "dDurationMs": 2400,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "If you could find a massive enough scale…"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 252240,
    "dDurationMs": 3600,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "and passionate enough graduate \nstudents to do your specimen wrangling…"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 255840,
    "dDurationMs": 3040,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "then put every living termite \non one side of that scale,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 258880,
    "dDurationMs": 4960,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "and every living wild mammal on the other, \nthe scale wouldn’t be balanced at all."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 263840,
    "dDurationMs": 2800,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Because the termites would \nweigh like 10 times more!"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 266640,
    "dDurationMs": 3520,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "It’s, just, an unbelievable \namount of ants and termites."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 270160,
    "dDurationMs": 2960,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "They also live in huge, \ndensely populated colonies."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 273120,
    "dDurationMs": 5200,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "So even if each ant or termite is tiny, \na whole serving size is easy to slurp up."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 278320,
    "dDurationMs": 4320,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Anteaters eat up to 35,000 \nants and termites a day."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 282640,
    "dDurationMs": 5840,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Numbats, an adorable Australian marsupial, \ncan eat 15-20,000 termites a day."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 288480,
    "dDurationMs": 3600,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "And aardwolves…which sound like \none of those animal mashups from"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 292080,
    "dDurationMs": 4880,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Avatar: The Last Airbender, but are \nindeed a real animal related to hyenas…"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 296960,
    "dDurationMs": 2240,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "can eat up to 200,000 termites a day."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 299200,
    "dDurationMs": 2720,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Still, ants and termites are tiny."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 301920,
    "dDurationMs": 3760,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "So some myrmecophages have evolved to \nmaintain a cooler body temperature,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 305680,
    "dDurationMs": 3600,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "and slower metabolism, to handle \nsuch a low-energy food source."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 309280,
    "dDurationMs": 3760,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Personally, I’ve never tried ants, \nbut I have heard they’re fine."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 313040,
    "dDurationMs": 1760,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "They taste a little bit \nlike salt and vinegar chips."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 314800,
    "dDurationMs": 4480,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "And now that we’re all thinking about \nsnacks, it’s time for an ad break."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 319280,
    "dDurationMs": 3440,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Thanks for watching SciShow and \nlearning new science stuff with us!"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 322720,
    "dDurationMs": 4400,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "If you’re a science, engineering, or math \nstudent in grades 5 through undergrad,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 327120,
    "dDurationMs": 2880,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "or someone helping those students \nalong their learning journey,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 330000,
    "dDurationMs": 3200,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "then this video’s sponsor, \nBrilliant, was made for you."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 333200,
    "dDurationMs": 2080,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Brilliant is an online personal tutor."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 335280,
    "dDurationMs": 2880,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Brilliant helps solve a big \nproblem in learning today."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 338160,
    "dDurationMs": 4480,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Often, classes are big and tutoring \nis expensive and hard to schedule."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 342640,
    "dDurationMs": 2960,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "But Koji is always there for you, 24/7."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 345600,
    "dDurationMs": 3680,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "So Brilliant helps more students \nget more out of their education."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 349280,
    "dDurationMs": 4560,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "To get started with Brilliant’s tutor for \nfree, click the link below or scan the QR code."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 353840,
    "dDurationMs": 2800,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "You can upgrade to Premium to unlock all courses."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 356640,
    "dDurationMs": 2080,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "And right now, SciShow viewers can save"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 358720,
    "dDurationMs": 5440,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "20% off an annual subscription \nat brilliant.org/scishow."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 364160,
    "dDurationMs": 1760,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Thanks to convergent evolution,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 365920,
    "dDurationMs": 3840,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "all these myrmecophage mammals have \ndeveloped similar characteristics."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 369760,
    "dDurationMs": 2320,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Perhaps most iconic is the sticky,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 372080,
    "dDurationMs": 3040,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "worm-like tongue that pops in \nand out of a tube-shaped mouth."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 375120,
    "dDurationMs": 2320,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "That mouth usually doesn’t have teeth, though."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 377440,
    "dDurationMs": 3040,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "And most ant-eating species don’t chew their food."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 380480,
    "dDurationMs": 3920,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Even animals that eat other creepy \ncrawlies, in addition to ants and termites,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 384400,
    "dDurationMs": 2640,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "tend to swallow their tiny, buggy meals whole."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 387040,
    "dDurationMs": 3840,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Chewing up every single one of your \nthousands of ants would likely take up"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 390880,
    "dDurationMs": 3760,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "a lot of time and energy, so \nthat’s one reason to skip the step."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 394640,
    "dDurationMs": 2320,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Plus, crushing the bugs completely could release"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 396960,
    "dDurationMs": 2320,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "a bunch of toxins inside their little bodies."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 399280,
    "dDurationMs": 3280,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Toxins they’d normally use to prevent \nthemselves from getting eaten,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 402560,
    "dDurationMs": 4080,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "by making the animal go “ew gross \nI’m never eating that thing, again”."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 406640,
    "dDurationMs": 2880,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "But a quick swallow isn’t \nthe only way myrmecophages"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 409520,
    "dDurationMs": 1920,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "handle those nasty chemicals."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 411440,
    "dDurationMs": 3200,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "For example, according to a paper from 2022,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 414640,
    "dDurationMs": 3840,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "pangolins have extra protein molecules \nthat hang out in their livers"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 418480,
    "dDurationMs": 2560,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "and break down the formic acid made by ants."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 421040,
    "dDurationMs": 3680,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "They also make use of any formic acid \nleft in their stomachs for digestion,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 424720,
    "dDurationMs": 1840,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "instead of making their own stomach acid."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 426560,
    "dDurationMs": 2640,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Which is pretty ingenious if I do say so myself."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 429200,
    "dDurationMs": 3760,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Speaking of breaking down, myrmecophage \nstomachs have adaptations to"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 432960,
    "dDurationMs": 3680,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "digest both the chitin in the insect exoskeletons,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 436640,
    "dDurationMs": 2400,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "and the sugars in the insects’ version of blood."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 439040,
    "dDurationMs": 4480,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "That same 2022 paper also found \nthat myrmecophage DNA is filled with"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 443520,
    "dDurationMs": 2960,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "the instructions for different \nchitin-digesting enzymes,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 446480,
    "dDurationMs": 2000,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "at least compared to other mammals."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 448480,
    "dDurationMs": 2960,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Also, their bodies might use those instructions to"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 451440,
    "dDurationMs": 2800,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "create enzymes more frequently \nthan other mammals do."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 454240,
    "dDurationMs": 1280,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "And that’s not all."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 455520,
    "dDurationMs": 2720,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Ant-eating mammals also \nappear to have significantly"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 458240,
    "dDurationMs": 3200,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "more chitin-digesting bacteria in their stomachs."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 461440,
    "dDurationMs": 2160,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Wait, a crab’s shell is made of chitin."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 463600,
    "dDurationMs": 1920,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Could an anteater digest a crab?"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 465520,
    "dDurationMs": 3360,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Or any of those fake crabs being served \nat your local seafood restaurant?"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 468880,
    "dDurationMs": 3280,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Have I managed to truly unite these \ntwo stories of convergent evolution?"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 472160,
    "dDurationMs": 1760,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Honestly, probably not."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 473920,
    "dDurationMs": 1680,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Look at their tiny little mouths!"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 475600,
    "dDurationMs": 4320,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Most myrmecophages have a fused jaw, \nnot built for unhinging or chewing."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 479920,
    "dDurationMs": 4000,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "It might be able to digest the shell \nif it were crushed up into tiny pieces,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 483920,
    "dDurationMs": 4480,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "but even animals that naturally eat crabs \nin the wild tend to leave the shells behind."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 488400,
    "dDurationMs": 3680,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "No, sadly it looks like the only \nvictory anteaters have over crabs"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 492080,
    "dDurationMs": 3680,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "is in the battle of carcinization \nvs. anteaterization."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 495760,
    "dDurationMs": 2480,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Or whatever scientists eventually come up with."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 498240,
    "dDurationMs": 2320,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Maybe they’ll finally find a \nway to give termites their due."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 500560,
    "dDurationMs": 2000,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Whatever you call it, there were twelve separate"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 502560,
    "dDurationMs": 2000,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "events throughout mammalian history."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 504560,
    "dDurationMs": 3360,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "That’s more than twice as many \ntimes as carcinization occurred,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 507920,
    "dDurationMs": 1600,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "in like one-quarter the time."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 509520,
    "dDurationMs": 3360,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "As for why this anteaterization \nhappened so many times,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 512880,
    "dDurationMs": 3120,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "a paper published in 2025 \nprovides one possible reason."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 516000,
    "dDurationMs": 2080,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "The researchers hypothesized \nit had something to do"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 518080,
    "dDurationMs": 2000,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "with the evolution of their food source."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 520080,
    "dDurationMs": 4320,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "And lacking any sort of time travel \ntechnology…and in an even more ideal world,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 524400,
    "dDurationMs": 2480,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "some kind of Speak With \nAnimals potion to interview"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 526880,
    "dDurationMs": 1760,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "some ancient aardvarks or whatever…"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 528640,
    "dDurationMs": 2480,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "they had to turn to more \ntypical experimental methods."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 531120,
    "dDurationMs": 4080,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "They collected dietary data \nfrom nearly 4100 mammal species,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 535200,
    "dDurationMs": 2640,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "and mapped those diets onto an evolutionary tree."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 537840,
    "dDurationMs": 3360,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "They also looked at how ant and termite \ncolonies have evolved over time,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 541200,
    "dDurationMs": 2080,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "and matched that data to the mammal diet stuff."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 543280,
    "dDurationMs": 2400,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Based on that, myrmecophagy does seem to be"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 545680,
    "dDurationMs": 3280,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "influenced by the availability of \nants and termites in the environment."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 548960,
    "dDurationMs": 3920,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "During the late Cretaceous, flowering \nplants became much more abundant."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 552880,
    "dDurationMs": 3920,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "This probably drove the explosion of \nant and termite colony populations,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 556800,
    "dDurationMs": 3040,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "which then likely drove the evolution \nof animals that can eat them."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 559840,
    "dDurationMs": 1440,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Maybe we should have called it the"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 561280,
    "dDurationMs": 2720,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Cretaceous Anteater-ization Revolution, instead."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 564000,
    "dDurationMs": 1200,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "What do you mean “No”?"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 565200,
    "dDurationMs": 3200,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "In contrast, a lack of available \nbugs probably pressured"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 568400,
    "dDurationMs": 3120,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "one myrmecophage lineage to \nbacktrack their ant-eating ways."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 571520,
    "dDurationMs": 4160,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Elephant shrews likely evolved \nmyrmecophagy about 55 million years ago,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 575680,
    "dDurationMs": 2560,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "hence their super cute, \nelongated snout and tongue."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 578240,
    "dDurationMs": 3360,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "This makes them one of the earliest \nconvergent evolvers of ant-eating."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 581600,
    "dDurationMs": 3040,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "So it might sound a bit surprising \nto hear they evolved out of it."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 584640,
    "dDurationMs": 2480,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Or at least a strict adherence \nto that particular diet."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 587120,
    "dDurationMs": 3040,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "The scientists behind this paper \nthink that elephant shrews…"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 590160,
    "dDurationMs": 3440,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "who live mostly in the grasslands \nand forests of southern Africa…"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 593600,
    "dDurationMs": 4240,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "evolved out of strict myrmecophagy in \nresponse to the lack of bugs in the winter."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 597840,
    "dDurationMs": 1840,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Without the all-you-can-eat bug buffet,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 599680,
    "dDurationMs": 2640,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "elephant shrews had to find something else to eat."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 602320,
    "dDurationMs": 2640,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Now, the little guys eat fruit as well as insects."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 604960,
    "dDurationMs": 3840,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "As far as this study could find, \nthey’re the only mammalian myrmecophages"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 608800,
    "dDurationMs": 3360,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "that reverted from their \nprevious anteater-ized fate."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 612160,
    "dDurationMs": 4400,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "In comparison, crabs have unevolved \ntheir crabby body plans enough times that"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 616560,
    "dDurationMs": 4080,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "scientists also have a name \nfor that: decarcinization."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 620640,
    "dDurationMs": 2160,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "And it’s happened at least seven times."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 622800,
    "dDurationMs": 2160,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "I’d say that’s another point toward ant-eaters"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 624960,
    "dDurationMs": 2400,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "in this entirely pointless fight I’ve pitted."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 627360,
    "dDurationMs": 3040,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Okay, maybe not entirely \npointless, and not just because"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 630400,
    "dDurationMs": 3120,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "I really want to be served some \nanteater memes alongside the crab ones."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 633520,
    "dDurationMs": 2160,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "And for the record, they’ll stay memes,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 635680,
    "dDurationMs": 4320,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "like this priceless piece of art we \nasked our post-production team to create."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 640000,
    "dDurationMs": 3680,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Your great-great-great-times-100 \ngrandchild is almost definitely"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 643680,
    "dDurationMs": 3520,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "not going to end up looking like \nthe Vermilingua from Borderlands 3."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 647200,
    "dDurationMs": 2720,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Or a crab. We simply don’t have the genes for it."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 649920,
    "dDurationMs": 3520,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Still, understanding how natural \nselection creates hermit crabs"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 653440,
    "dDurationMs": 2960,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "and aardwolves can help scientists \napply those rules to other,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 656400,
    "dDurationMs": 2000,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "perhaps more important matters."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 658400,
    "dDurationMs": 2480,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Like, say, antibiotic resistant bacteria."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 660880,
    "dDurationMs": 1920,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Or the next pandemic-causing virus."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 662800,
    "dDurationMs": 4400,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Studying convergent evolution can help \nscientists predict patterns of mutation,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 667200,
    "dDurationMs": 1920,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "which is especially pertinent when researchers"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 669120,
    "dDurationMs": 2960,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "are trying to develop vaccines, \nantibiotics, and so forth."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 672080,
    "dDurationMs": 1360,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "Sounds pretty useful to me,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 673440,
    "dDurationMs": 3280,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "even if we humans aren’t on track \nto becoming anteaters ourselves."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 676720,
    "dDurationMs": 3120,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "But if you’re suddenly feeling \nhungry for a snack of ants on a log,"
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 679840,
    "dDurationMs": 1829,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "I’m certainly not going to judge you."
    } ]
  }, {
    "tStartMs": 681669,
    "dDurationMs": 10355,
    "segs": [ {
      "utf8": "[♪ OUTRO]"
    } ]
  } ]
}