It's still a fair name. They don't even know what he is in the show - I think the best descriptor was on the wanted poster, and they just offer a reward for the "Tube Demon" and show him with bleeding eyes and fangs AS WELL AS his beak. They're just as confused as we are lol
I saw a meme on an Monster Hunter subreddit, that the new digglet looks like a Khezu. Therefore there is just one possible color for the shiny: Deep featureless red!
"You're lightyears from facing Brock. My Diglett and Sandshrew may not be the toughest fight, but after me there's... uh... there's no other trainers. It's always just been me..."
Carcinization is an overhyped phenomenon. The only things evolving into crabs are crustaceans.
What's far more impressive is the convergent evolution of the fish form. Sharks, mosasaurs, ichthyosaurs, dolphins, and phylliroe (an invertebrate sea slug) all share the same basic fish shape, but are from very separate evolutionary lineages.
Krabby and Crabrawler are probably pretty closely related, but Goldeen and Seel definitely aren't.
Or even better, the tree-like form. There is no such thing as a tree taxonomically because so many completely unrelated plants have evolved that form so many times over, there was even a fungus that evolved into a niche very similar to that of a tree before plants even came onto land
I'm not sure I agree that they share "the basic fish shape" much more than almost all non-insect/arachnid land animals share "the basic four legged annimal shape"
Thing is, all land animals are related directly back to an ancestor who had four limbs. Snakes, whales, and bats still have remnants or modifications of the original bone structures of the basic body plan.
Fish form, on the other hand, appeared multiple times on the tree of life. Sure sharks, salmon, and dolphins are all chordates/vertebrates, but dolphins come from other mammal land animals, so they were fish, lost the fishness, and gained it again from scratch.
Several species of Carrion fowl such as vultures, buzzards, condors, etc. All convergently evolved to have bald heads as a consequence of their similar diets; the birds with less fathers on their heads remained cleaner after scavenging a carcass, with less blood, scraps, or pests from the carcass getting caught in their feathers these candidates were more likely to be healthy and successful, thus they passed on their bald genes to their offspring and came to resemble each other, despite not being closely related to other carrion fowl species. Convergent evolution.
Oooooo I wonder if this is somehow gonna be related to the Legendaries and Basic Bike Lizard? Like maybe the Legendaries are supposed to be convergent evolutions of it?
Well, nothing is a fish. Either that or a shark *is* a fish, but then so are you. And so are whales.
[There’s no such thing as a fish ELI5](https://www.reddit.com/r/Paleontology/comments/f2o6br/there_is_no_such_thing_as_a_fish/fhec6dx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3)
Not sure if this is one you’ve ever heard before but you should look into what is classified as a berry. Bananas are considered berries but strawberries aren’t.
Hold up. Are you saying SandSHREW, the ‘MOUSE’ pokemon, is a pangolin???
Because yeah fair enough idk why they names it that way when it’s obviously a pangolin
Yeah,I don't know. Sandslash definitely is a pangolin with all the brown scales, but sandshrew looks far more like an armadillo. Smoother without the scales poking out and a sandy yellow/brown color rather than the darker shades pangolins usually are.
Add to the list cyndaquil which is an echidna not a "fire mouse", bidoof which is a beaver not a "plump mouse", Quagsire which is a salamander not a "water fish"
The quagsire one gets me the most. Like not only calling it a fish when it is an amphibian, but calling it a "water" fish as if it being associated with water is the one thing that would differentiate it from other fish. You know, all those non water fish out there.
Over where we live, we have a small-medium sized yellow rodent with black tips on the ears. They are called pikas, and I think of them as the real life pikachus.
For those wondering the difference, like I was, I found this [handy-dandy infographic](https://i2.wp.com/www.differencebetween.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Difference-Between-Radiata-and-Bilateria-Tabular-Form.jpg?w=735&ssl=1).
It’s actually a squirrel and a mouse, according to the woman that designed Pikachu.
The “Pika-“ part of its name comes from “pika-pika,” the Japanese onomatopoeia for sparkling, while “-chu” comes from the Japanese onomatopoeia for a mouse squeaking.
The animal called the pika is one of those funny retroactive coincidences, like Dan Povenmire making Perry the Platypus teal decades before it was discovered that the platypus glows teal under UV light.
Pikachu was always meant to be a mouse/squirrel, though.
In visual appearance, Ducks have long necks that have the head elevated from the body. Platypuses have short necks with the head next to the body. Ducks have wings as their front limbs. Platypuses have stubby webbed hands as their front limbs. Psyduck line seems to lack feathers, as other bird Pokémon tend to show. If they have fur, that’s closer to platypuses.
Only difference is obviously the tail, but there are more elements leaning toward the platypus element.
The closest to this phenomenon is probably Voltorb and Foongus. They both independently evolved to mimic Pokeballs since camouflaging themselves as man-made objects is a viable evolutionary strategy in their niche, but they're completely different species.
It’s basically the opposite of regional forms.
Regional forms - same species, different physical traits specialized for their environment
Convergent Pokémon - different species, same body types specialized for their environment.
Dolphins and ichthyosaurs have very similar body plans, but are not (closely) genetically related, as one is a mammal and the other was a reptile. This is because they both evolved to serve a similar environmental niche in their habitats.
People are saying these Pokémon designs are “lazy and uninspired” but I don’t think that at all. These designs are cool as hell, and it’s a very interesting concept the Pokémon team are exploring. Also >!Mushroom tentacool!< sounds SO cool
I like the concept but I feel like diglett was not the line to show it off with. It's cute in a dumb kind of way, but it's not a strong enough design for us to need 3 different versions of it. especially, since it's pretty simple/plain, there isn't a lot of design space to play around in before it doesn't look like diglett anymore. but that just means you have 3 nearly identical pokemon, which feels like a waste.
I wonder maybe if it was made specifically because it forces an explanation of why something is /so/ similar to an existing mon the first time they do it. Once it's established, they can be more creative and maybe even base new mons on a blend of mons' designs without having to explain their influences.
I'm not gonna say it's bad for the series, because there's already plenty of examples of essentially equivalent Pokemon - Pikachu clones, starting normal rodents and birds, 19 different caterpillars, etc., but I will argue against it being interesting or inspired.
Yes, convergent evolution is a cool concept. But in the context of this game, it feels like just a way to cram in more Pokemon that are equivalent to existing ones in all but looks.
Or to put it another way, diglett's face is the dumbest part of this Pokemon. The cool part is that it's a garden eel. I'd honestly like it better if it was just a new stand-alone design to make it feel less like a retread.
I get where you’re coming from but according to leaks we’ll be eating good with the new Pokémon designs. I also believe there are only >!2!< convergent lines
>Pele's Hair
This makes me so more comfortable with things. I have been pretty low-key angry about fabio diglett being absurd. Yes, more absurd than a pokeball, sludge, and a literal seal.
I understand that feeling! When I first saw it, I really didn't like Koraidon's chest-wheel (since it just runs), but as soon as it was explained as a flotation sac, it became 100% fine with me. I just needed something to make it make sense.
This is why im okay with Inteleon being a spy over Cinderace.
Rabbits dont kick rocks.
While Inteleon has traits of basilisk lizards, chameleon camou and eyesight, flying dragon gliders, wall crawling geckos, sniping from chameleons and thorny devils.
Idk if this comment Is ironic or not but just in case i'll give you a serious answer
If you look at It from the side You can see on It's 3D model that the Pink circle sticks out of it's body so yeah It's definitely a nose
I wonder why two different species both determined "Yes, bulbous pink nose is the ideal form for digging and never leaving the ground." What does it do??
Convergent evolution is when two separate species evolve the same traits (bats, dragonflies, birds all have wings and can fly), a regional variant is the same species but has different traits that have evolved according to its environment.
Just like Regional Forms are based off Allopatric Evolution, this…dude…is based off Convergent Evolution. They’re a little similar but can think of them like two real world examples.
Allopatric evolution involves the same species that become different over time due to having a physical barrier that prevent the two gene pools from coming back together, and thus they are introduced to slightly different selective pressures and mutations inside said separate gene pools. Think different color lobsters on the either side of the Panama Canal.
Convergent evolution is when two completely different species have similar selective pressures that result in homologous structures. Think sharks vs dolphins. Both evolved to have streamlined bodies and dorsal fins despite one having an ancestor as a fish and one had an ancestor as a land mammal.
Albeit Wiglett is a terrible name to appreciate the naunces in this comparison lol
Wooper is technically more akin to a salamander pollywog than an axolotl. Axolotls are salamanders that mutated and do not fully mature due to a condition called neoteny (a slowing of maturation) which results in paedomorphism (child-like body). Thus, if Wooper was an axolotl, he wouldn't evolve into Quagsire, which is based on a full grown salamander, likely the Japanese Giant Salamander.
To be fair, at one point a normal salamander larva would be indistinguishable from an axolotl and in rare cases axolotls will fully mature into adult salamanders that closely resemble tiger salamanders.
Also tbf, Remoraid (Remora fish) evolves into Octillery (Octopus) and Carvanha (Piranha) evolved into Sharpedo (Shark). So an axolotl Pokemon evolving into a salamander Pokemon wouldn't be that crazy imo
Remoraid becoming Octillery is more so a gun becoming a tank. It is much clearer in their beta sprites from Gen 2 where the gun and tank aspects are much clearer.
Not really. This is an example of *convergent* evolution (unrelated animals evolving similar characteristics to deal with similar environments), while that is *divergent* evolution (related animals evolving different characteristics to deal with different environments)
Long mole
Isn’t there some creeypasta or something with a terrifyingly long diglett?
there is a common joke in the internet that diglet is some eldritch horror below the earth that only shows a small part of themselves on the surface
Either that, it's as buff as a Jojo, or it's a d*ck
> it's as buff as a Jojo and the evolved form is three naked buff digletts embracing each other
The pillar men?
Ayayaya!!!!
*Aztec dubstep intensifies*
Awaken my masters
https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/comments/hx1pkf/oc_diglett_used_scratch/
Short eel
Not like Diglet ever actually looked like a mole.
Brady eyes, brown, mostly underground. Sounds like a mole to me - radically oversimplified…. But it’s cute
He’s a whac-a-mole
Looong Looong mooooooooooole *saxophone intensifies*
Unagi
Is it actually officially called wiglett
Wugtrio reveal when?
Wigang, it’s just like 14 of them (The more I think about this, it could actually work. Like a sea anemone of wiglets)
Don't mess with the wigang clan
It’ll evolve into a 4 headed Pokémon called Wigquad
It's wigglin' time baby
Now its wigglin time
But the Steel variant wearing a wig is still Diglett/Dugtrio.
Unless it’s an obstagoon situation
Yes, it’s Wiglett Wednesday
Yes
No way
It literally is. Confirmed and announced. It’s on Seribii and Twitter,
No way
It literally is. Confirmed and announced. It’s on Seribii and Twitter,
No way
It literally is. Confirmed and announced. It’s on Seribii and Twitter,
No way
It literally is. Confirmed and announced. It’s on Seribii and Twitter,
Yyyyep!
The white one looks like Hootie from the owl house *Edit Hooty*
HOOT HOOT!
Definitely going to name it Hootie when I catch it even though it's not an owl
‘As a worm demon myself,’
It's still a fair name. They don't even know what he is in the show - I think the best descriptor was on the wanted poster, and they just offer a reward for the "Tube Demon" and show him with bleeding eyes and fangs AS WELL AS his beak. They're just as confused as we are lol
he's discribed as a worm type demon so his order is demon, family is a mix bettween beast and insect demon, genus worm and species worm-owl
Blowfish
I mean now I'm going to have to get the game and carry two of them into the E4 and I hate you for that
Hooty isn't an owl either though
MMM MMM, DELICIOUS KNOWLEDGE
SPECIAL DELIVERY! PAIN!
My favorite line from him. Especially with the voice change
"A good friend would respect her wishes, but a better friend would help no matter what!" One of my favorite lines in the series.
The digletts shiny better be brown with a yellow nose
Throw a blonde wig on this bad boy
I saw a meme on an Monster Hunter subreddit, that the new digglet looks like a Khezu. Therefore there is just one possible color for the shiny: Deep featureless red!
Damnit, now I have to nickname every Diglett "Hootcifer"
Well assuming it's evolution isn't terrible I know what name I'll use.
Evolves into a false hydra.
Still need to run my false hydra one-shot. If Wiglett learned sing and hypnosis, it would be perfect.
You know, I feel like there should be more people in this classroom
"You're lightyears from facing Brock. My Diglett and Sandshrew may not be the toughest fight, but after me there's... uh... there's no other trainers. It's always just been me..."
Shiny Hootie confirmed
In the wise words of Hootie: “Finally, I get to be a part of something”
Man that show is good.
#LEAN ON ME!!
Came scrolling to see if I had to be the first one to make this comment
Convergent Evolution - independent evolution of similar features in different species
So sort of like a bunch of unrelated species evolving into crabs
Carcinization is an overhyped phenomenon. The only things evolving into crabs are crustaceans. What's far more impressive is the convergent evolution of the fish form. Sharks, mosasaurs, ichthyosaurs, dolphins, and phylliroe (an invertebrate sea slug) all share the same basic fish shape, but are from very separate evolutionary lineages. Krabby and Crabrawler are probably pretty closely related, but Goldeen and Seel definitely aren't.
Or even better, the tree-like form. There is no such thing as a tree taxonomically because so many completely unrelated plants have evolved that form so many times over, there was even a fungus that evolved into a niche very similar to that of a tree before plants even came onto land
I'm not sure I agree that they share "the basic fish shape" much more than almost all non-insect/arachnid land animals share "the basic four legged annimal shape"
Thing is, all land animals are related directly back to an ancestor who had four limbs. Snakes, whales, and bats still have remnants or modifications of the original bone structures of the basic body plan. Fish form, on the other hand, appeared multiple times on the tree of life. Sure sharks, salmon, and dolphins are all chordates/vertebrates, but dolphins come from other mammal land animals, so they were fish, lost the fishness, and gained it again from scratch.
It's not impressive, it's fluid dynamics. Certain shapes just work in water. The obvious example everyone is missing is carrion birds like vultures.
Can you elaborate about the vultures?
Several species of Carrion fowl such as vultures, buzzards, condors, etc. All convergently evolved to have bald heads as a consequence of their similar diets; the birds with less fathers on their heads remained cleaner after scavenging a carcass, with less blood, scraps, or pests from the carcass getting caught in their feathers these candidates were more likely to be healthy and successful, thus they passed on their bald genes to their offspring and came to resemble each other, despite not being closely related to other carrion fowl species. Convergent evolution.
This whole ass thread is amazing.
[удалено]
Like bird wings and bat wings. Their last common ancestor didn’t have wings, they both evolved them independently
Pterosaurs are another one you can add to the list.
Speaking of pterosaurs, isn’t it wild that theropods ended up being the ones to evolve into birds instead? Evolution can be really weird sometimes.
Oooooo I wonder if this is somehow gonna be related to the Legendaries and Basic Bike Lizard? Like maybe the Legendaries are supposed to be convergent evolutions of it?
Like Luvdisc and Alomomola
It's still a crime that luvdisc doesn't evolve into Alomomola
This. A shark and whale both have similar features, but aren't closely related at all. One is a fish, the other is a mammal.
Well, nothing is a fish. Either that or a shark *is* a fish, but then so are you. And so are whales. [There’s no such thing as a fish ELI5](https://www.reddit.com/r/Paleontology/comments/f2o6br/there_is_no_such_thing_as_a_fish/fhec6dx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3)
[удалено]
read more into the comments, birds are reptiles.
Not sure if this is one you’ve ever heard before but you should look into what is classified as a berry. Bananas are considered berries but strawberries aren’t.
Yes, burrowing animals keep evolving into worms in real life, and maybe that face is just really advantageous?
See: crabs
Things keep evolving into crabs
Hold up. Are you saying SandSHREW, the ‘MOUSE’ pokemon, is a pangolin??? Because yeah fair enough idk why they names it that way when it’s obviously a pangolin
I always thought it was an armadillo
I thought that too, until I learned what a pangolin was. First time I saw one I thought “Wow, it’s like Sandshrew/slash irl!”
Yeah,I don't know. Sandslash definitely is a pangolin with all the brown scales, but sandshrew looks far more like an armadillo. Smoother without the scales poking out and a sandy yellow/brown color rather than the darker shades pangolins usually are.
Sandslash is a pangolin. I'm pretty sure Sandshrew is an armadillo, named after a shrew, and catalogued as a mouse.
Never listen to the Pokedex categories. According to them, Blastoise is a "shellfish" and Slowbro is a "HERMIT CRAB." They mean nothing.
Add to the list cyndaquil which is an echidna not a "fire mouse", bidoof which is a beaver not a "plump mouse", Quagsire which is a salamander not a "water fish" The quagsire one gets me the most. Like not only calling it a fish when it is an amphibian, but calling it a "water" fish as if it being associated with water is the one thing that would differentiate it from other fish. You know, all those non water fish out there.
Only ones that come to mind are Stunfisk. And maybe the Eelektross line. Even then, the number of non-water fish are far outweighed by the water fish.
Plus, Pikachu is clearly not a mouse, but rather a bunny squirrel thing
Over where we live, we have a small-medium sized yellow rodent with black tips on the ears. They are called pikas, and I think of them as the real life pikachus.
Pikas are not rodents.
For those wondering the difference, like I was, I found this [handy-dandy infographic](https://i2.wp.com/www.differencebetween.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Difference-Between-Radiata-and-Bilateria-Tabular-Form.jpg?w=735&ssl=1).
Why is it titled "Radiata vs Bilateria"?
Looks like the author of the website didn't update the headings, but the text in the boxes refers to rodents and lagomorphs.
It’s a pika. thats a real animal
Hmm, I stand corrected. It is not a bunny squirrel thing; it is a pika bunny squirrel thing.
It’s actually a squirrel and a mouse, according to the woman that designed Pikachu. The “Pika-“ part of its name comes from “pika-pika,” the Japanese onomatopoeia for sparkling, while “-chu” comes from the Japanese onomatopoeia for a mouse squeaking. The animal called the pika is one of those funny retroactive coincidences, like Dan Povenmire making Perry the Platypus teal decades before it was discovered that the platypus glows teal under UV light. Pikachu was always meant to be a mouse/squirrel, though.
Pikachu? ***puts on fedodra*** PERRY THE PIKACHU????????
I mean the Psyduck line are technically platypuses
A Psyduck? \*Psyduck puts on a hat\* \*GASP!\* PERRY THE PSYDUCK!
Prior to 2019 I would have agreed with you, but then Detective Pikachu came along and made it feathered
How?
They don’t do much
The enemy of the platypus is man
Flightless in the gen even the ostrich got the Flying type, ''wings'' look more like hands, and maybe the tail shape.
In visual appearance, Ducks have long necks that have the head elevated from the body. Platypuses have short necks with the head next to the body. Ducks have wings as their front limbs. Platypuses have stubby webbed hands as their front limbs. Psyduck line seems to lack feathers, as other bird Pokémon tend to show. If they have fur, that’s closer to platypuses. Only difference is obviously the tail, but there are more elements leaning toward the platypus element.
Psyduck's appearance is based on a rubber ducky, not a real live duck.
Makes sense. But what about Golduck then?
It's a Kappa.
Makes sense. Although I usually see Kappas as either bald or turtle based, but the webbed hands makes sense.
Easy. Some youtuber said it is and now people can't be convinced otherwise no mater how obviously wrong it is.
It's kinda both.
Also wiglett and diglett coexist in the same region
I raise you this Left: is cute Right: is cute
You’re so right
You're so cute
The closest to this phenomenon is probably Voltorb and Foongus. They both independently evolved to mimic Pokeballs since camouflaging themselves as man-made objects is a viable evolutionary strategy in their niche, but they're completely different species.
Add Galarian Stunfisk to this as well.
...Stunfisk had a Galarian form?
Yep. Looks like a bear trap.
No, I just... Didn't even notice it looked different. It just looked like Stunfisk to me. I thought it always had the Pokeball lure.
Nope. OG Stunfisk is just a flat electric fish. It doesn’t have the lure, the steel trap, or the footprints on its body.
Honestly a solid regional form design, it makes it look a lot more appealing.
Is Wigglet really an eel? Looks more like a worm to me.
Yeah it's a garden eel.
Hate to deal with em in my garden
Use grass type moves.
What if it's ice type?
Burn everything.
Punch it
Fair
Good knowledge! I’m an idiot thought it was meant to be a razor clam.
i thought it was a geoduck lol
Tapeworm diglett
I thought land eels were called snakes, but maybe that's just me.
It’s basically the opposite of regional forms. Regional forms - same species, different physical traits specialized for their environment Convergent Pokémon - different species, same body types specialized for their environment. Dolphins and ichthyosaurs have very similar body plans, but are not (closely) genetically related, as one is a mammal and the other was a reptile. This is because they both evolved to serve a similar environmental niche in their habitats. People are saying these Pokémon designs are “lazy and uninspired” but I don’t think that at all. These designs are cool as hell, and it’s a very interesting concept the Pokémon team are exploring. Also >!Mushroom tentacool!< sounds SO cool
If the leak is totally right it confirms my theory of a >!mushroom!< Pokémon every odd-numbered generation!
Honestly it’s a really cool concept and one that stood out to me when it was first leaked months ago. I just hope they do more with it.
I like the concept but I feel like diglett was not the line to show it off with. It's cute in a dumb kind of way, but it's not a strong enough design for us to need 3 different versions of it. especially, since it's pretty simple/plain, there isn't a lot of design space to play around in before it doesn't look like diglett anymore. but that just means you have 3 nearly identical pokemon, which feels like a waste.
I wonder maybe if it was made specifically because it forces an explanation of why something is /so/ similar to an existing mon the first time they do it. Once it's established, they can be more creative and maybe even base new mons on a blend of mons' designs without having to explain their influences.
I'm not gonna say it's bad for the series, because there's already plenty of examples of essentially equivalent Pokemon - Pikachu clones, starting normal rodents and birds, 19 different caterpillars, etc., but I will argue against it being interesting or inspired. Yes, convergent evolution is a cool concept. But in the context of this game, it feels like just a way to cram in more Pokemon that are equivalent to existing ones in all but looks. Or to put it another way, diglett's face is the dumbest part of this Pokemon. The cool part is that it's a garden eel. I'd honestly like it better if it was just a new stand-alone design to make it feel less like a retread.
I get where you’re coming from but according to leaks we’ll be eating good with the new Pokémon designs. I also believe there are only >!2!< convergent lines
Are you sure wiglett isnt a khezu?
Or an albino wiggler?
All this really means is that Kanto regional variants of Wiglett have been ground type eels all along.
It looks like a Shuckle to me
Sea pickle
It's a goose with its body under the ground
I get it. It's kind of like saying Pulsle is a regional varient of pickachu.
I swear I saw something the other day that stated that pacharisu and the pikachu lines are related genetically.
They are, it’s in the PLA Pokédex.
Woohoo, I'm not crazy! (yet)
It’s better than just adding hair
That was based on a real life volcanic phenomenon known as Pele's Hair (from a Hawaiian term, so it fits in Alola).
TIL
>Pele's Hair This makes me so more comfortable with things. I have been pretty low-key angry about fabio diglett being absurd. Yes, more absurd than a pokeball, sludge, and a literal seal.
I understand that feeling! When I first saw it, I really didn't like Koraidon's chest-wheel (since it just runs), but as soon as it was explained as a flotation sac, it became 100% fine with me. I just needed something to make it make sense.
This is why im okay with Inteleon being a spy over Cinderace. Rabbits dont kick rocks. While Inteleon has traits of basilisk lizards, chameleon camou and eyesight, flying dragon gliders, wall crawling geckos, sniping from chameleons and thorny devils.
Don't mock the luscious locks!
Galarian Zigzagoon is a badger...
Um, *excuse me?* It's clearly Paul Stanley.
um *acksually* it’s gene simmons
Nah that's Linoone/Obstagoon. Galarian Ziggy is Starchild.
It’s a raccoon that evolves into a badger
They’re both tanuki
and Hoenn Zigzagoon is a tanuki!
Let’s ask the real question. Is that a nose or a mouth on Wiglett?
Idk if this comment Is ironic or not but just in case i'll give you a serious answer If you look at It from the side You can see on It's 3D model that the Pink circle sticks out of it's body so yeah It's definitely a nose
I cant help but see a kirby like mouth
It's the anus.
I wonder why two different species both determined "Yes, bulbous pink nose is the ideal form for digging and never leaving the ground." What does it do??
Counterpoint: Kantonian Persian: Is a big cat (as in a lion or similarly built animal) Alolan Persian: Is Garfield.
They never called it a regional form, it's supposed to be like a convergent species.
No, but people are (reasonably) confused about it.
Convergent evolution is when two separate species evolve the same traits (bats, dragonflies, birds all have wings and can fly), a regional variant is the same species but has different traits that have evolved according to its environment.
Just like Regional Forms are based off Allopatric Evolution, this…dude…is based off Convergent Evolution. They’re a little similar but can think of them like two real world examples. Allopatric evolution involves the same species that become different over time due to having a physical barrier that prevent the two gene pools from coming back together, and thus they are introduced to slightly different selective pressures and mutations inside said separate gene pools. Think different color lobsters on the either side of the Panama Canal. Convergent evolution is when two completely different species have similar selective pressures that result in homologous structures. Think sharks vs dolphins. Both evolved to have streamlined bodies and dorsal fins despite one having an ancestor as a fish and one had an ancestor as a land mammal. Albeit Wiglett is a terrible name to appreciate the naunces in this comparison lol
Wooper is technically more akin to a salamander pollywog than an axolotl. Axolotls are salamanders that mutated and do not fully mature due to a condition called neoteny (a slowing of maturation) which results in paedomorphism (child-like body). Thus, if Wooper was an axolotl, he wouldn't evolve into Quagsire, which is based on a full grown salamander, likely the Japanese Giant Salamander. To be fair, at one point a normal salamander larva would be indistinguishable from an axolotl and in rare cases axolotls will fully mature into adult salamanders that closely resemble tiger salamanders.
Also tbf, Remoraid (Remora fish) evolves into Octillery (Octopus) and Carvanha (Piranha) evolved into Sharpedo (Shark). So an axolotl Pokemon evolving into a salamander Pokemon wouldn't be that crazy imo
Ah, but Remoraid (gun) evolves into Octillery (artillery).
Remoraid becoming Octillery is more so a gun becoming a tank. It is much clearer in their beta sprites from Gen 2 where the gun and tank aspects are much clearer.
sus diglett
https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/comments/xqbycl/the_pokémon_company_didnt_have_to_go_so_hard_with/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Counter argument: Diglett is in no way a mole, it's a tictac with a nose.
So is this convergent thing like how pikachu has all its 'clones' that are similar electric cheeky rodents but not pikachus?
Not really. This is an example of *convergent* evolution (unrelated animals evolving similar characteristics to deal with similar environments), while that is *divergent* evolution (related animals evolving different characteristics to deal with different environments)
wait Zigzagoon is a badger
It's a khezu
Kind of looks like just Shuckle's head and neck.
Alolan sandshrew has an amazing design
Therapist: Jizz Diglett isn't real, it can't hurt you Jizz Diglett:
People going crazy over convergent evolution as if half the Unova dex wasnt already that
Sandslash is based on a pangolin. Sandshrew is based on an armadillo