3199: Early Arthropods - Revision history

71.80.176.171: /* Transcript */ added detail of middle arthropod turning to rightmost arthropod in 2nd panel

2026-04-11T20:23:54Z

‎Transcript: added detail of middle arthropod turning to rightmost arthropod in 2nd panel

81.179.199.253: /* Explanation */ This actually seems like the original error solved... (Making the URL work, and supplying the operative 'missing' word back to the text.)

2026-03-10T13:53:06Z

‎Explanation: This actually seems like the original error solved... (Making the URL work, and supplying the operative 'missing' word back to the text.)

91.94.4.217: /* it was definitely missing a word, but maybe not THIS word (too repetitive) */

2026-03-10T11:16:02Z

‎it was definitely missing a word, but maybe not THIS word (too repetitive)

Tromag at 15:11, 5 February 2026

2026-02-05T15:11:53Z

Tromag at 15:10, 5 February 2026

2026-02-05T15:10:23Z

Tromag at 15:09, 5 February 2026

2026-02-05T15:09:37Z

81.179.199.253: Undo revision 404824 by DKMell (talk) Mentioned in Trivia.

2026-02-03T20:05:19Z

Undo revision 404824 by DKMell (talk) Mentioned in Trivia.

DKMell: sic

2026-02-03T01:18:48Z

sic

BunsenH: /* Explanation */ unbroke link

2026-01-30T04:12:34Z

‎Explanation: unbroke link

DKMell: examples, tightened up the writing a bit

2026-01-30T01:36:29Z

examples, tightened up the writing a bit

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 :Arthropod 3: I'm gonna evolve glands to make string from my butt and use it to construct elaborate geometric nets hundreds of times my size to catch other animals.
-:[Beat panel narrowed in on the arthropods.]
+:[Beat panel narrowed in on the arthropods. The arthropod in the center has turned to face the rightmost one.]
 :[Same scene:]

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 [[2314:_Carcinization|Crabs]] are a recurring theme in biology (and [[2418:_Metacarcinization|conversations with Randall]]).
-The {{w|eusocial}} insects mentioned in the title text, most prominently bees, ants and termites, are other types of arthropods with high levels of social organization. As such, they are notable for ''not'' "mind[ing] their own busines{{asic}}", as their ancestor arthropod apparently expects. Eusocial insects operate in groups, and the individuals often don't operate on their own at all, to the point where the whole colony often operates [https://daily.jstor.org/how-fire-ants-form-rafts/acts as a unit, with little regard for the individual]. The comment that their descendants "[won't] do anything weird" may be a joke about eusociality being pretty weird to a solitary organism, or may refer to the [https://scitechdaily.com/why-termites-blow-themselves-up-the-fascinating-chemistry-of-their-defense-mechanisms/ extreme forms of behavior eusocial insects sometimes pursue]. (While there are a number of species of {{w|social spider}}, there aren't any that meet the strict definition of eusociality.)
+The {{w|eusocial}} insects mentioned in the title text, most prominently bees, ants and termites, are other types of arthropods with high levels of social organization. As such, they are notable for ''not'' "mind[ing] their own busines{{asic}}", as their ancestor arthropod apparently expects. Eusocial insects operate in groups, and the individuals often don't operate on their own at all, to the point where the whole colony often [https://daily.jstor.org/how-fire-ants-form-rafts acts as a unit, with little regard for the individual]. The comment that their descendants "[won't] do anything weird" may be a joke about eusociality being pretty weird to a solitary organism, or may refer to the [https://scitechdaily.com/why-termites-blow-themselves-up-the-fascinating-chemistry-of-their-defense-mechanisms/ extreme forms of behavior eusocial insects sometimes pursue]. (While there are a number of species of {{w|social spider}}, there aren't any that meet the strict definition of eusociality.)
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 [[2314:_Carcinization|Crabs]] are a recurring theme in biology (and [[2418:_Metacarcinization|conversations with Randall]]).
-The {{w|eusocial}} insects mentioned in the title text, most prominently bees, ants and termites, are other types of arthropods with high levels of social organization. As such, they are notable for ''not'' "mind[ing] their own busines{{asic}}", as their ancestor arthropod apparently expects. Eusocial insects operate in groups, and the individuals often don't operate on their own at all, to the point where the whole colony often [https://daily.jstor.org/how-fire-ants-form-rafts/acts as a unit, with little regard for the individual]. The comment that their descendants "[won't] do anything weird" may be a joke about eusociality being pretty weird to a solitary organism, or may refer to the [https://scitechdaily.com/why-termites-blow-themselves-up-the-fascinating-chemistry-of-their-defense-mechanisms/ extreme forms of behavior eusocial insects sometimes pursue]. (While there are a number of species of {{w|social spider}}, there aren't any that meet the strict definition of eusociality.)
+The {{w|eusocial}} insects mentioned in the title text, most prominently bees, ants and termites, are other types of arthropods with high levels of social organization. As such, they are notable for ''not'' "mind[ing] their own busines{{asic}}", as their ancestor arthropod apparently expects. Eusocial insects operate in groups, and the individuals often don't operate on their own at all, to the point where the whole colony often operates [https://daily.jstor.org/how-fire-ants-form-rafts/acts as a unit, with little regard for the individual]. The comment that their descendants "[won't] do anything weird" may be a joke about eusociality being pretty weird to a solitary organism, or may refer to the [https://scitechdaily.com/why-termites-blow-themselves-up-the-fascinating-chemistry-of-their-defense-mechanisms/ extreme forms of behavior eusocial insects sometimes pursue]. (While there are a number of species of {{w|social spider}}, there aren't any that meet the strict definition of eusociality.)
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 This comic points out that something we generally take for granted — {{w|spider}}s spinning webs — can seem both amazing as well as {{w|Defamiliarization|weird}} and disgusting in its details. Whereas the kind of adaptation referred to by the first {{w|arthropod}} (seen in {{w|shrimp}}, {{w|krill}}, {{w|isopoda|isopods}}, etc.) and by the second ({{w|scorpions}}, {{w|crabs}}, many insects) may seem like obvious things for evolution to arrive at, it's less clear how something would evolve to construct webs.
-This strip treats evolution like a conscious process to underscore how strange it would be if a species simply decided to pursue some of these unusual adaptations. Evolution in real life works by {(w|natural_selection}}, where small and random adaptations improve the odds of survival and reproduction, and those changes build up into huge changes over the course of long enough time spans. This means that no one decided that a spider's web-weaving ability (for example) was worth pursuing, it happened gradually over millions of years. An intelligent species can accelerate this gradual process of natural selection through {{w|artificial selection}} by choosing characteristics and using selective breeding and culling to favor those. Only humans are known to plan out such breeding (mostly in domesticated species), and even then it is an {{w|Dog breeding#Criticism|imperfect process}} that can be very hit-and-miss. Most biology is the result of evolution without any evident plan.
+This strip treats evolution like a conscious process to underscore how strange it would be if a species simply decided to pursue some of these unusual adaptations. Evolution in real life works by {{w|natural selection}}, where small and random adaptations improve the odds of survival and reproduction, and those changes build up into huge changes over the course of long enough time spans. This means that no one decided that a spider's web-weaving ability (for example) was worth pursuing, it happened gradually over millions of years. An intelligent species can accelerate this gradual process of natural selection through {{w|artificial selection}} by choosing characteristics and using selective breeding and culling to favor those. Only humans are known to plan out such breeding (mostly in domesticated species), and even then it is an {{w|Dog breeding#Criticism|imperfect process}} that can be very hit-and-miss. Most biology is the result of evolution without any evident plan.
 [[:Category:Spiders|Spiders]] are a recurring theme on xkcd.

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 This comic points out that something we generally take for granted — {{w|spider}}s spinning webs — can seem both amazing as well as {{w|Defamiliarization|weird}} and disgusting in its details. Whereas the kind of adaptation referred to by the first {{w|arthropod}} (seen in {{w|shrimp}}, {{w|krill}}, {{w|isopoda|isopods}}, etc.) and by the second ({{w|scorpions}}, {{w|crabs}}, many insects) may seem like obvious things for evolution to arrive at, it's less clear how something would evolve to construct webs.
-This strip treats evolution like a conscious process to underscore how strange it would be if a species simply decided to pursue some of these unusual adaptations. Evolution in real life works by {w|natural_selection}}, where small and random adaptations improve the odds of survival and reproduction, and those changes build up into huge changes over the course of long enough time spans. This means that no one decided that a spider's web-weaving ability (for example) was worth pursuing, it happened gradually over millions of years. An intelligent species can accelerate this gradual process of natural selection through {{w|artificial selection}} by choosing characteristics and using selective breeding and culling to favor those. Only humans are known to plan out such breeding (mostly in domesticated species), and even then it is an {{w|Dog breeding#Criticism|imperfect process}} that can be very hit-and-miss. Most biology is the result of evolution without any evident plan.
+This strip treats evolution like a conscious process to underscore how strange it would be if a species simply decided to pursue some of these unusual adaptations. Evolution in real life works by {(w|natural_selection}}, where small and random adaptations improve the odds of survival and reproduction, and those changes build up into huge changes over the course of long enough time spans. This means that no one decided that a spider's web-weaving ability (for example) was worth pursuing, it happened gradually over millions of years. An intelligent species can accelerate this gradual process of natural selection through {{w|artificial selection}} by choosing characteristics and using selective breeding and culling to favor those. Only humans are known to plan out such breeding (mostly in domesticated species), and even then it is an {{w|Dog breeding#Criticism|imperfect process}} that can be very hit-and-miss. Most biology is the result of evolution without any evident plan.
 [[:Category:Spiders|Spiders]] are a recurring theme on xkcd.
@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 [[2314:_Carcinization|Crabs]] are a recurring theme in biology (and [[2418:_Metacarcinization|conversations with Randall]]).
-The {{w|eusocial}} insects mentioned in the title text, most prominently bees, ants and termites, are other types of arthropods with high levels of social organization. As such, they are notable for very clearly ''not'' "mind[ing] their own busines{{asic}}", as their ancestor arthropod apparently expects. Eusocial insects operate in groups, and the individuals often don't operate on their own at all, to the point where the whole colony often [https://daily.jstor.org/how-fire-ants-form-rafts/acts as a unit, with little regard for the individual]. The comment that their descendants "[won't] do anything weird" may be a joke about eusociality being pretty weird to a solitary organism, or may refer to the [https://scitechdaily.com/why-termites-blow-themselves-up-the-fascinating-chemistry-of-their-defense-mechanisms/ extreme forms of behavior eusocial insects sometimes pursue]. (While there are a number of species of {{w|social spider}}, there aren't any that meet the strict definition of eusociality.)
+The {{w|eusocial}} insects mentioned in the title text, most prominently bees, ants and termites, are other types of arthropods with high levels of social organization. As such, they are notable for ''not'' "mind[ing] their own busines{{asic}}", as their ancestor arthropod apparently expects. Eusocial insects operate in groups, and the individuals often don't operate on their own at all, to the point where the whole colony often [https://daily.jstor.org/how-fire-ants-form-rafts/acts as a unit, with little regard for the individual]. The comment that their descendants "[won't] do anything weird" may be a joke about eusociality being pretty weird to a solitary organism, or may refer to the [https://scitechdaily.com/why-termites-blow-themselves-up-the-fascinating-chemistry-of-their-defense-mechanisms/ extreme forms of behavior eusocial insects sometimes pursue]. (While there are a number of species of {{w|social spider}}, there aren't any that meet the strict definition of eusociality.)
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 | imagesize = 553x469px
 | noexpand  = true
-| titletext = 'Ugh, I'm never going to be like spiders. My descendants will all just be normal arthropods who mind their own busines [''sic''] and don't do anything weird.' --The ancestor of a bunch of eusocial insects
+| titletext = 'Ugh, I'm never going to be like spiders. My descendants will all just be normal arthropods who mind their own busines and don't do anything weird.' --The ancestor of a bunch of eusocial insects
 }}

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 {{incomplete|This page was created by an arthropod who will get 10 pointy things to zap a metal box and tell it stuff.. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
-This comic points out that something we generally take for granted — {{w|spider}}s spinning webs — can {{w|Defamiliarization|seem weird}} and disgusting when we consider the details of what it involves. Whereas the kind of adaptation referred to by the first {{w|arthropod}} (seen in {{w|isopoda|isopods}}) and by the second ({{w|scorpion}}s or {{w|crab}}s) may seem like obvious things for evolution to arrive at, it may be less clear how something would arrive at the outcome of web construction.
+This comic points out that something we generally take for granted — {{w|spider}}s spinning webs — can seem both amazing as well as {{w|Defamiliarization|weird}} and disgusting in its details. Whereas the kind of adaptation referred to by the first {{w|arthropod}} (seen in {{w|shrimp}}, {{w|krill}}, {{w|isopoda|isopods}}, etc.) and by the second ({{w|scorpions}}, {{w|crabs}}, many insects) may seem like obvious things for evolution to arrive at, it's less clear how something would evolve to construct webs.
-Note that evolution in real life does not work the way the comic implies, as creatures cannot choose a direction in which to evolve.{{citation needed}} An individual organism can choose to pursue certain activities, but these only affect its number of offspring. An intelligent species could accelerate this gradual process of natural selection through artificial selection that favored certain individuals, but this would still require many generations to make observable progress, and would generally require a more advanced understanding of what ''can'' be achieved. While many species select for fitness during reproduction, this is normally for traits that are already present, or of novel features that arise randomly and stand out as an advantage against their peers. Only humans are known to pursue major change, and mostly in other domesticated species, and even then it is an {{w|Dog breeding#Criticism|imperfect process}} that can be very hit-and-miss.
+Note that evolution in real life does not work the way the comic implies, as creatures cannot choose a direction in which to evolve.{{citation needed}} An individual organism can choose to pursue certain activities, but these only affect its number of descendants. An intelligent species can accelerate this gradual process of natural selection through {{w|artificial selection}} by favoring certain individuals, but this still requires many generations to make observable progress, and generally requires a more advanced understanding of what ''can'' be achieved. While many species select for fitness during reproduction, this is normally for traits that are already present, or of novel features that arise randomly and stand out as an advantage against their peers. Only humans are known to pursue major change, and mostly in domesticated species, and even then it is an {{w|Dog breeding#Criticism|imperfect process}} that can be very hit-and-miss.
 [[:Category:Spiders|Spiders]] are a recurring theme on xkcd.
@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 [[2314:_Carcinization|Crabs]] are a recurring theme in biology (and [[2418:_Metacarcinization|conversations with Randall]]).
-The {{w|eusocial}} insects mentioned in the title text are another group of arthropods with high levels of social organisation, mainly bees and ants. As such, they are notable for ''not'' "minding their own busines{{asic}}", as their ancestor arthropod apparently expects. The comment that their descendants "[won't] do anything weird" may be a joke about the [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09425-w extreme forms of behavior eusocial insects sometimes pursue]. Eusociality has evolved multiple times in the ''{{w|Hymenoptera}}'' alone, as well as in termites. There is no arthropod species that is the ancestor to all the eusocial arthropods and no others. While there are a number of species of {{w|social spider}}, there aren't any that meet the strict definition of eusociality.
+The {{w|eusocial}} insects mentioned in the title text, most prominently bees, ants and termites, are other types of arthropods with high levels of social organization. As such, they are notable for ''not'' "minding their own busines{{asic}}", as their ancestor arthropod apparently expects. The comment that their descendants "[won't] do anything weird" may be a joke about eusociality being pretty weird to a solitary organism, or may refer to the [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09425-w extreme forms of behavior eusocial insects sometimes pursue]. (While there are a number of species of {{w|social spiders}}, there aren't any that meet the strict definition of eusociality.)
 ==Transcript==