Not Austin giving us a biology lesson! As a bio teacher, I can confirm that yes you are using the terms correctly! They are not closely related species however evolved similar adaptive traits to fit a similar niche (environment, diet, predators, etc) maybe in the same location or often in similar conditions across in another part of the world. They have “converged” on similar traits.

Thanks Megs. just trying my best here to explain why this pokemon is the way it is. Mainly so people don't immediately go to thinking its a "lazy/ripoff" design. lol

@Austin John Plays fair enough, I get it, and think it’s kind of cool. But at the same time we didn’t really have a need for it. People will complain because of that. Of course as you mentioned, people will probably still complain saying it’s lazy. That’s just how it will go in this community, because most fans are too lazy to look for cool details like this.

@Austin John Plays I actually think it’s kinda cool looking lol I like derpy Pokémon

@Shin3y I think an argument can be made that the necessity for a pokémon like this would be for educational purposes. Exactly what Austin John is doing right now which is to use the pokémon as a means to teach people about what convergent evolution is. Video games get a lot of flack for taking kids away from studies but video games can be used to teach and this would be a good example.

@Shin3y I’m actually pretty excited for convergent evolutions in Pokemon, although to be fair we’ve actually had them for a while if not in name. Examples: Magikarp and Feebas- weak water type that evolves into strong water type Pikachu and Pachirisu- forest-dwelling electric rodents Pidgey and Fletchling- small, easy-to-raise flying-types that evolve into birds of prey, have similar habitats Meowth and Purrloin- feline pokemon that are able to stand upright. Shinx and Pyroar- apex predators styled after lions and living in prides We’re just being a little more blatant now.

Can't wait for the evaluation

actually really cool

Super

Very amazing

Ok placut interesant

👍

I hope they add a grass type diglett as well and call it Twiglett

I didn't know I needed this before now

The funniest part about that for me is that Twiglet is a brand of snack.

This is the single best thing I've read all day and I love it

Hahahahahahah

Or one that evolved to drop tasty fruits... Figlett.

I love how Alolan Diglett would've fit the wiglett name way more

TAKE MY DUMB LIKE AND STOP IT

But this one wiggles :/

@Mi Di but Alolan Diglett had a wig

Wig like hair heheh

That’s be best joke ever

I like how GameFreak are making Pokemon more Animalistic with Variants & Convergent Evolution. Hopefully we get alot more like this!

And then they go and put those absolutely ridiculous head pieces on them for the new gimmick. Lol

@Trevor Reish listen Linda, listen, that can be based on European royalty. Have you SEEN the former queen's crown? Said to be so heavy thanks to all the jewels you couldn't bend your damn head.

@Ribotto StudiosI think it still looks ridiculous. Haha

@Trevor Reish Don't use it then

So much better than alolan diglett

Yeahh a new pokemon 🥳

Love how Pokémon is incorporating real life scientific concept more and more: Regional Variants - Divergent evolution Now we have Convergent evolution.

What does divergent and convergent means?

To me, it just seems like a lazy way of redesigning old Pokémon and making entirely new ones

@eli camacho Just like real life then 👍

@armin arlert in real life, as explained by Austin, Divergent evolution is when a specific specie evolves into multiple different species. Just like how regional variants are presented. Convergent evolution on the other hand, is when 2 unrelated species evolves similarly in terms of appearance, traits, etc. In the case of Wiglett and Diglett they are totally different specied (one is a fish and the latter is a mole) but they somehow look the same.

@armin arlert divergent evolution is when two organisms have one common ancestor, but they separated overtime (like going to different places) and changed their forms because they adapted there (for example, the mammoth and elephants in real life). to diverge is something like "to separate". convergent evolution is when two organisms aren't related to each other, but they developed some similar characteristics to one another--like it's coincidental and it may also be due to adapting to their environment (for example, sharks and dolphins). to converge is something like "to come together" or "to merge"

I'm happy that some pokemon are now interacting with the environment and not just standing or roaming.

It's so cool to see convergent evolution shown in pokemon in this way

Literally stole this comment

@CaptainArvz and the stolen comments always get more likes and the heart lol

@Ribotto Studios lol

@CaptainArvz eh just the way the cookie crumbles on YouTube.

Jesus Christ died for our sins, rose from the dead, and gives salvation to everyone who has faith in him. True faith in Jesus will have you bear good fruit and *drastically* change for the better! Those led by the Holy Spirit do not abide in wickedness. 👍🏾 *God is ONE manifesting himself as THREE;* the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! Bless him! *For these three are one.* As I am led by the Holy Spirit, nothing I state is a lie, but the truth of God. Anyone who tells you differently is misinformed or a liar. They do not know God, nor led by him. Anyone who *claims* to be a Christian and is against what I am doing, and where I am doing it; the Holy Spirit does not dwell within them, they lack understanding. They know not God, read his word, and their religion is in vain. Do not hear them, they will mislead you, the lost cannot guide the lost.

This idea of convergent evolution is interesting, it would explain things like why we've had a pikachu/raichu looking rodent every gen since 3 too

I think a mechanic where you fill out your own pokedex entries based on your personal observations would be so much fun!

I think it's awesome that the pokemon company are using real life ecology. Wigglet reminds me of a spotted eel.

That’s definitely what it’s based on!

K P it’s… 100% based on a garden eel. It’s even been confirmed by them if I recall correctly.

When I saw the thumbnail I thought it was some strange fusion of Diglett and Shuckle but I think this is actually really cool now that I know more about it.

Shucklett

Jesus Christ died for our sins, rose from the dead, and gives salvation to everyone who has faith in him. True faith in Jesus will have you bear good fruit and *drastically* change for the better! Those led by the Holy Spirit do not abide in wickedness. 👍🏾 *God is ONE manifesting himself as THREE;* the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! Bless him! *For these three are one.* As I am led by the Holy Spirit, nothing I state is a lie, but the truth of God. Anyone who tells you differently is misinformed or a liar. They do not know God, nor led by him. Anyone who *claims* to be a Christian and is against what I am doing, and where I am doing it; the Holy Spirit does not dwell within them, they lack understanding. They know not God, read his word, and their religion is in vain. Do not hear them, they will mislead you, the lost cannot guide the lost.

When you trust in God and cast your cares (worries, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts) upon him, they will be NO MORE! Know that there is power in the name Jesus Christ! His name casts out demons and heals! The world is wicked, evil, and of the devil. I too, was a wicked sinner of the world before I opened my heart to God. I am living proof of God's work and fruitfulness! He is an active God who hears the prayers of his! God's children are set apart (holy) and righteous. The devil is a liar that comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy; that includes your relationship with God!

Despite Wiglett being a completely different pokemon instead of a paldean diglett its still gonna be very hard for me to keep that in mind due to how used I am to regional variants That being said wow Convergent evolution is so interesting, I'm so excited to see if gamefreak do more with this idea

That shark/dolphin and mole analogy made A LOT of sense. I couldn't wrap my head around it NOT being the same type of pokemon as diglett. An eel and a mole definitely isn't the same animal lol.

As a current Bio Major, you are using the term correctly! Convergence is so interesting to study, especially finding out how integral environmental pressures are to evolution!

Convergert Evolution: Bats and Birds. Bats are a mammal but evolved wings by skin flaps in order to fly. Birds are a bird, not a mammal, however they evolved to have wings that use feathers and a hollow bone structure so they can fly. Clearly different species but have very similiar adaptions. This was the example that helped me out alot in school.

K P He said if we knew of other examples of convergent evolution to post in comments. You completely missed the point of his video and my post.

As a Palaeontologist, specifically one who studies paleoecology, I absolutely love this!!! Convergent evolution makes SOOO much sense in the Pokémon world, and these new forms show perfect examples of how differently related animals evolve into similar traits/shapes as others. Spot on with the terminology as well!

K P Bro its still a pokemon

K P bro it’s video game, there’s walking trash bags and floating swords, and a cat that talks. I just think it’s cool they’re incorporating an idea of convergent evolution to have two similar but different looking Pokémon species

No such thing as a convengent evolutions

@Yusei255 💀

I’m a biologist, and I think it’s neat that they decided to do this whole interactive ecological survey thing!

Pokémon back at it again with another new and fun reveal format, Austin as well with the fast and quality uploads as usual, much appreciation, very enjoyable, hope y’all have a good one 👍

As a bio major and general science nerd, I love that they’re including actual biological concepts in the games. I was ecstatic when they introduced regional forms!

Its kinda like how every region has a pokemon that is very similar to pikachu but is in fact not a regional form of pikachu.

I really like it. A lot of people are going to have a gut reaction but post Gen 5 Pokémon has had a lot more thought put into design and inspiration so I look forward to seeing how it melds with the past and future aesthetic

It’s super cool how they come up with this stuff.

Curious to see the evolution of Wigglet if there will be one. Who knows, many it won’t be just 3 Wigglet together?

I just realized we may have had a small instance of this with Shellos and Gastrodon. Granted they stayed the same type but their appearance changed depending on where they lived even if it was just color.

Geoduck(pronounced gooey duck) I believe are the inspiration, it is a species of clam and is the longest shellfish, they look pretty similar, definitely not the main inspiration, but, definitely similar

They could also be inspired by the Lugworm, which is a species of worm that borrows in tunnels in shallow sea and beach areas and sticks its head out from there. They are very common in mudflats in northern Europe.

It's an interesting idea they have going on with Wiglett. I'm excited to try one out on my team!

Just a side note/hopeful future Pokémon. With this being released, I feel like it’s only a matter of time till we can get a Sandflea based Pokémon (Mole crab/Sand Crab). Just seems like a cool concept to me and a good chance of typing and ability’s!

I'm not the biggest fan of this thing, but the idea of convergent evolution in Pokemon is novel.

If Smeargle does get confirmed to return in Scarlett and Violet, I wonder if it and Grafaiai would follow convergent evolution since they both love to paint even though they are different Pokémon.

Can't wait for the Wugtrio reveal

Things like learning about Convergent Evolution, how certain Pokemon either draw references to mythological or real-life creatures, the symbology behind certain 'mons (Espeon and Umbreon have been my favorite pairing since gen 2) and how some of their behaviors or appearances can mimic or draw from real-life creatures is why I fell in love with the series as a kid and why I still enjoy it well into adulthood despite how it seems socially unacceptable at times for anyone that doesn't play video games.

You come through again Austin. Will say it again. Your videos really are the best!

Not a fan of it as a Mon but the convergent evolution idea is really cool. Would be down to see more.

Out of all the mons they could’ve given a convergent evolution idk why they picked such a meh Pokémon. Not to mention one they already gave a regional variant

There’s gonna be a Tentacool as well

I love wiglett so much I just hope they update the official page for it

That's really cool that they incorporated the idea of convergent evolution in this.

Eevee would be the best example of a divergent evolution tree, as Eevee depending on circumstance can at this point evolve into eight different Pokémon

Can't wait for the evaluation , Wugtrio!

It’s cool they got both diglett and him in it; wonder if they’d be good in double battles together or completely flop at it

I wonder if this could further explain the 'regional' bird trio from SwSh (Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres.) in the game it was stated because they have similar features to the original birds, they just named them as such. And i love that in Japanese, Diglett is called Digda and wiglett in Japanese is Umidigda Umi translates to 'sea' so a sea Diglett ☺️

Convergent means that any two separate species evolved to copy one of them or it may even be a coincidence...think of the leaf insect that looks just like a leaf...same thing happens in this case. Now divergent evolution means that any single species evolved into two or more different species to survive in any unfavorable conditions, (in nature it's more common than convergent evolution & yes, today was my Bio board exam and I described these in my board exam just 2-3 hours ago)

Dude... I love your videos. Can't wait to play these new Pokemon games using some of your tips and things.

Biologist here!! You are using the term perfectly here. Convergent evolution is one of my favorite concepts in biology, the other being subspecies (regional forms in pokemon).

I wonder if they'll be ground and water. Maybe that's why Wooper got a regional varient

It’s not the Pokémon we asked for, but maybe it’s the Pokémon we deserve.

🤣🤣

Austin u definitely used the term convergent evolution correctly but to me this case could be a phenomenon called mimicry as wiglet physically looks similar to a diglet. For example, wasps almost look like bees as a result the bees think that the wasp is a bee and allow the was inside their hive. This makes it easier for the wasps to prey on bees. So maybe it's a similar case for a wiglet?

Cannot wait for a Wigtrio to appear randomly.

As a bio major gotta say that your explanation and terminology is spot on but I gotta say that inspiration for wigglet is that of a razor clam.

I think they intended it to be a diglett regional form at one point but they changed diglett too much that it looks more like a eel(my opinion it looks like a worm) instead of a mole now that they couldnt make it a regional form anymore.

I'm loving the direction of pokemon designs so far this generation. So many goofy lil guys, I can't wait for the games to release!

You are one of my favorite YouTubers!! I love your content and how informative you are!! Keep up the good work! You did good on the Dykg!

Will I use it? Probably not. Do I love it? Absolutely!

I would suggest using Wormadam as an example with Silcoon and Cascoon as well

I like the idea of convergent evolution in a Pokémon game, it's a nice detail that makes them more believable. But I would also love it if the wiglet we saw was just a lure, and the main body was hidden under the sand. Like a nice nod to some digglet fan theories

This man deserves a like just for explaining biology to us

It's really hard trying to avoid spoilers when every pokemon youtuber shows the new 'mon in their thumbnails

At first I thought it was kind of a funny looking water type Diglett but after seeing what its based on i like it now even more. Thanks for the biology lessons @Austin John Plays👍🏻😁

Incredible that after 25 years of pokemon, they have finally revealed the best one.

I love the idea of revealing new pokemon this way. Could maybe use a little better VA/acting but still very cool.

I love that pokemon doing new things when it comes to new pokemon.

I always find my way back to this channel every year when the new Pokémon games drop

Wiglett did get an official reveal, happy to see more new Pokémon, though lets be real we all want the evolutions revealed!

A great example of convergent evolution is a Green Tree Python and Emerald Tree Boa. One lives in South America and the other live In and around Australia. They evolved in completely different parts of the world but look so similar and have such similar behavior its uncanny.

I'm leaning towards razon clam mostly because spotted eels are in the water and clams can pop up in the beach. My brother did wonder about wigglet and digglet "If W is for worm, then D is for..." XD Thanks for the great video!!

My favorite thing for this is that it means the dig/wig-lett body shape, is, in fact, the peak physical form for those environmental pressures, having separately converged on that delightful shape. Feels like there's a potential for a 'peak form' meme right here.

Really cool that it’s not a regional variant or anything like that but I kinda feel like this is just a way so they don’t repeat the Meowth situation aka having one Pokémon have many different regional forms like how Meowth has both an Alolan and Galarian form. Regardless can’t wait to see if this thing evolves and what it would evolve into if it does

As a 22 year old who still loves Pokémon, I always think “wow, imagine if this came out when I was younger”. I always dreamed of these style of Pokémon games as a kid and seeing them come to life blows my mind. I can only imagine how stunning these games must feel for the younger generation who is just now jumping into the series!

I’m 30 and i feel the same way but i appreciate it so much now cause i got to see *no pun involved* the evolution of Pokémon lol the game and the Pokémon collectively

Could be wrong, but maybe based off of a Garden eel? As a marine biologist, and one who loves garden eels and diglett, thank you very much Wiglett.

I love that we have a Pokémon based on convergent evolution. That's so cool.

Since we have regional variants as divergent evolution, it's about time we have convergent evolution.

@Qin73 I’m confused. What’s the difference between convergent evo and divergent evo? Give some examples

@SSM Shark and Dolphin can be said convergent evolution, they shared similar morphology and external characteristics but they are derived from 2 kingdom of animal. Dolphin is a mammals and shark is fish. They shared similar morphology as they were exposed to the same living environment and food source. Another example is Wolf and Tasmanian devil, wolf is placental mammal whereas Tasmanian devil is marsupial which is more closely related to Kangaroo. Tasmanian devil evolved this way as it is carnivorous and its body evolve to enable it to hunt.

@SSM Divergent evolutions occurss when 2 organisms of the same species evolve different traits in order to accommodate for differing environmental pressure. Wolf is Canis lupus and Dog, Canis familaris. Both wolf and dog share the common ancestor, but human domesticated dog make them evolved to a more docile and less aggressive variant of a genus, Canis

@SSM Itchyosaurus, Shark and Dolphin are very similar but they are reptile, fish and mammals respectively. They have evolved to having similar morphology as they are sea- dwelling predators.

I didn't know what they were called, but those Spotted Garden Eels were my first thought when I saw Wiglett. They're in the ending(and I think in some places during the episodes) of Shimoneta as a sort of innuendo, and they're a pretty recognizable animal. Another example of convergent evolution IIRC is the Tasmanian Tiger and canines. If I'm not mistaken, the Tasmanian Tiger is/was a marsupial but looking at pictures you'd think it was some kind of wild dog or short haired wolf instead of being more closely related to kangaroos. I might be mixing up some details on that though.

If gamefreak are going to continue to make pokemon more realistic I hope we eventually see variations of shiny forms. like real life afflictions such as albinism and melanism

This sounds like what a certain Pokemon web game does. Are you a PFQ user?

Never happening.

Looking forward to Wugtrio in the near future

I'm still not sure I feel like this "convergent evolution" thing makes a ton of sense vs regional variants, or at least what they've turned into. Some Alolan forms are clearly cases of pokemon migrating and adapting to their surroundings: Grimer/Muk, Ratatta/Raticate, etc. But the Galarian Moltres/Zapdos/Articuno seem way closer to what this Wiglett is than an actual variant of the Kanto birds. I don't know, it just feels like the distinction is mostly arbitrary, given that we already have pokemon completely changing their types and appearances more drastically than Wiglett/Diglett and still being considered regional variants.

Honestly I love this new Pokémon and it’s name

Looks like it’s based on a razor clam based on regional context. Could be a bit of both razor clam and the eel though. Razor clams pop out of the sand when you pour salt on the sand surface. They also dig through the sand by protruding their arm/leg/face to act as a scooping implement, ejecting any sand from their butts if they ingest it whilst digging. Spain has GREAT razor clams. Delicious with herby garlic butter. 🤤

Convergent evolutions just gave me a whole bunch of new ideas for fakemon :D I can't wait for Wiglett!! So cute 🥰

When I was a kid I used to draw imagined evolutions of Pokémon. I had a whole new species of evolutions based off Dratini and Dragonair that had legs and also some from Diglett. This new form is nothing like what I had imagined…

Also the Wigtrio is definitely an entirely different pokemon as well

so for people who dont know, there is going to be more of these "imposter" pokemon. they arent the original pokemon they are based on, like diglett. its not a regional form or varient. its a new pokemon that looks similar to a pokemon, but has different features. so its kinda like a in-between pokemon of other pokemon. like say spheal and seel. or rowlet and hoothoot.

So more Pokémon based on convergent evolution. Where two species might look similar because evolution wise it makes sense to have those traits but will behave totally differently. Like tigers and lions. They're both big cats, both utilize stealth for attack, and both have big paws, are huge in general. But one is a social animal the other is not. And due to their locations, one evolved to have stripes, the other golden fur.

Aka the developers ran out of good ideas so they just copy/pasted Diglett, sprinkled on a few changes & slapped a sticker on it that says 'this is a new Pokemon'.

@Grizzly Adams if that's the case, this happened in Gen5 already

@Grizzly Adams i bet you're the type to have gotten terrible grades in school aren't you

@Hazel Nutspred That’s the worst comparison I’ve ever heard. He’s 100% right. It’s literally a long white Diglett.

3:55 It's definitely a great example of convergent evolution, but it's not really an example of mimicry. Wiglett and Diglett live in completely different environments and wouldn't really gain advantages from mimicking each other.

Yet again they’re nailing it with the names of these Pokémon lmao, wiglett is such a great name I love it

Maybe it could be like a form of evolution in terms of maybe over the generations the Pokémon that becomes diglett over time split into two separate evolutionary lines? One line becomes diglett the other goes to Wigglet

1. i wanna see what diglet looks like underground 2. will wiglet have an evolution 3. do we have any other convergent pokemon (from previous gens)? 🤔

i think wiglett is based on a bobbit worm or austins theory could be correct but the way it burrows and then shoots up fast out of the ground just makes me think of a bobbit worm

You got the definitions of “Convergent” and “Divergent” evolution correctly. Good job @AustinJohnPlays.

A wiggly Diglett-looking brand new pokémon called Wigglet! How can I not love it??? 😍

I feel a little stressed because I'm currently working on getting a completed live national dex, and, to make things easier to find later, started organizing pokemon by first type and evolution lines instead of exclusively by numbers (ex. Slowking is next to Slowpoke & Slowbro in my water group instead of being in its numbered position with the Gen II group), and adding the concept of Conversion Evolutions makes remembering later a bit complicated. On the other hand, I love that they're adding real science to this. I'm always happy when media decides to apply actual educational tools in a proper way. On a completely left field note: I'm sure Bird Keeper Toby is losing his mind RN

The way the hole/rock thing surrounding it moves with the Wiglet when it turns looks so weird. A hole doesn't work like that 😂

At 1st I thought this could end up being a branch evolution so maybe this could be another varient like how Wurmple evolved? We might get a preevolution that comes before Diglett that evolved based on location???

So similar to pyukumuku and pinchurchin. They look very similar to the point they could be evolutionary forms but are entirely different pokemon

The names in this generation are literally top tier. 😂

I hope that if wiglet has an evolution, it'll be like dug trio except it's just these 3 wiglets wiggling around :D

It should be a Ground/Bug type would've been fun

Reminds me of a praying mantis and a mantidfly. Very similar and yet extremely different.

Canonically, from Oddish and Kabutops’ dex entries, Pokémon names are genera. This makes regional forms species within a genus, and Wiglett a different genus in the same family as Diglett! Or, possibly, this one learns AquaTail instead of Scratch, and is not a mole at all 😵‍💫

I also bet on razor clams (navalhas in portuguese).They are a relative popular sea food in Portugal (in old time they were more popular, nowadays it's rare to find them)

Yessss I’m a huge biology nerd and the fact they added convergent evolution into Pokémon has made my day. We need more of this honestly I’m down for it.

New trailer has dropped today. It has shown new mechanics and a new evolution for Girafarig