Giant Crabs Colonize Rome's Ancient Ruins

Italy Magazine/ANSA ^ | 10-28-2005

[Junior]

First, they claim to see the arrival of a new species.

No they didn't. No mention of new species was ever made. What the researchers were referring to was genetic isolation, which is one of the first steps toward speciation.

Then the praise the circumstances that appear to preserve a species unchanged.

No. They just said the colony in Rome could be important for the conservation of the species. They may have meant that by drawing attention to the crabs the government might take steps to keep the rural populations from dying out too. That's how I read the quote when I first saw it.

[muir_redwoods]

A 2-1/2"(6 CM) diameter crab is a giant crab? Right, hold the cocktail sauce

[Dustbunny]

Giant ????? 4 cm??????

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

They're going to need some of these.

[EveningStar]

Great wake up laugh. Thanks. :)

[ApplegateRanch]

"Giant Crabs Colonize Rome's Ancient Ruins"

So, the old, worn out Italian whores are infested with large lice. Who'd thunk it.

I Love to go a-wandering...

Valdareeeee,
valdaraw,
valdareeeeee,
valdaraw-ha-ha-ha;
My mattress on my back!

...but Never on Sunday.

[wideminded]

They apparently suffer a little at the hands of the capital’s many feral cats

Haven't been to Rome for many years, but one thing I remember is the surprising number of cats living in the ruins.

[PLMerite]

How do you eat hardshell crabs with chopsticks?

[BlessedByLiberty]

Leave my family out of this!

:)

[JudyinCanada]

LOL - sorry. Ok. BBL's family off limits.

[george76]

Potamon fluviatile, an unassuming freshwater crab, has shown superior staying power, thriving in the canals built by the Etruscans nearly 3,000 years ago...

The ancient ruins of Trajan’s Forum in the heart of the Eternal City have provided the ideal habitat for the crustacean, which is much larger than its counterparts in lakes and rivers...

While in nature the crab grows to a length of five centimetres (two inches), it is more robust in the ruins, growing to more than eight centimetres. “Once we found a moult (shed exoskeleton) measuring 12 centimetres!”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070603/od_afp/italyarchaeologynatureoffbeat;_ylt=Ag1QAjamAMP3E9nMmKxOaHYDW7oF

[george76]

[wideminded]

Last time I was in Rome the ruins appeared to be colonized by large numbers of feral cats.

[Trajan88]

Did someone say Trajan?

Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus (aka Trajan88) gives a thumbs up to the little beasties ;-)

[Frank_2001]

Uh, WHICH Clinton are we talking about?;))

[Army Air Corps]

Either one would suffice.

[Old Student]

Something tells me you find one of these guys in your skivvies, you WILL notice! :)

[JRios1968]

I, for one, welcome our new crab overlords...

[Cacique]

btt

[Ultra Sonic 007]

Don’t make me have to go to Lyoko. ;)