Insectarium

How Mantises Became Nature’s Strangest Assassins

Mantises may look unearthly, but they’re uniquely adapted to life on this planet. These incredible hunters have repeatedly evolved into “ecomorphs”—groups that aren’t closely related, but share incredible adaptations to similar habitats. This happens so consistently in their history that it’s almost baffling. Do these dazzling displays of convergence have something to tell us about evolution?

How Mantises Became Nature’s Strangest Assassins

10m 50s

Mantises may look unearthly, but they’re uniquely adapted to life on this planet. These incredible hunters have repeatedly evolved into “ecomorphs”—groups that aren’t closely related, but share incredible adaptations to similar habitats. This happens so consistently in their history that it’s almost baffling. Do these dazzling displays of convergence have something to tell us about evolution?

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