hi, i have a potentially silly question. are ispods and cockroach species any bit related? ive noticed certain exoskeletons between the two look similar
isopods are an order of crustaceans while cockroaches are an order of insects. an isopod is more closely related to a lobster or shrimp than it is to a cockroach: the last common ancestor they shared probably lived over 500 million years ago, before either insects or isopods or any other animal had come on land yet.
you can chalk their similar appearance up to convergent evolution: a large head shield and domed, segmented body is useful for burrowing and protecting the legs and underbelly from predators and dryness. there are even a few cockroach species that can curl into a perfect ball much like some isopods can.
hopefully I’m not confusing things further, but: insects are part of the Pancrustacea, a huge grouping of arthropods traditionally considered “crustaceans” even though insects weren’t included for a long time. think of insects being crustaceans sort of like birds being a highly distinctive group of dinosaurs. however, the divisions between them are far more ancient!
