Tag

Octopus

All articles tagged with #octopus

science1 day ago•7 min saved

Oldest 'octopus' fossil reclassified as nautiloid

A fossil long hailed as the oldest octopus, Pohlsepia mazonensis from Mazon Creek (~311–306 million years ago), has been re-examined with advanced imaging. Using synchrotron X-ray, micro-CT, SEM, and multispectral imaging, researchers found no octopus features (no eight-arm anatomy, no internal shell, no ink sac, no hooks) and no ocular pigments. They identified a preserved radula and dental pattern that match nautiloids, revealing it died, decomposed, and was flattened into mud, preserving soft tissue as two-dimensional stains. This makes Pohlsepia the oldest confirmed nautiloid soft-tissue fossil in the Paleozoic, and the study suggests other Mazon Creek fossils could yield similar revelations.

via Ars Technica|

#fossils #mazon-creek #nautiloid

science1 day ago•32 min saved

Ancient fossil labeled oldest octopus debunked: a nautiloid, not an octopus

A 300-million-year-old fossil once hailed as the world’s oldest octopus has been reclassified as a nautiloid after new analyses, including synchrotron imaging and detailed geochemistry. The researchers found a radula with many rows of teeth inconsistent with octopuses, explaining why the fossil looked octopus-like as it decomposed. Discovered at the Mazon Creek site near Chicago, Pohlsepia mazonensis’ true identity underscores how advanced technologies are reshaping paleontology by revealing hidden anatomy that old methods missed.

via Yahoo News New Zealand|

#fossil #nautiloid #octopus

science23 days ago•1 min saved

Clever Octopus Triggers Tug-of-War with Hidden BRUVS Camera on Tuvalu Reef

National Geographic Pristine Seas deployed baited underwater cameras on a Tuvalu reef; a day octopus (Octopus cyanea) grabbed the weighted canister, tugged it toward a nearby rock, and used its arms and taste receptors to investigate and try to access the sardines inside, moving a heavy 10–15 kg rig in a display of problem‑solving.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#animal-intelligence #bruvs #marine-biology

science25 days ago•2 min saved

Pacific Octopus Delivers Punches to Herd Prey in Hidden Hunt

Researchers using baited underwater video off Rotuma captured a day octopus punching a highfin grouper during a hunt, with theories that the blows help discipline or coordinate with prey-sharing fish, a behavior also noted in similar hunts elsewhere (e.g., the Red Sea).

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#hunting-cooperation #marine-biology #octopus

animals1 month ago•19 min saved

If Humans Vanish, Could Octopuses Rise to Rule Earth?

Earth after humans is explored as a thought experiment: Oxford biologist Tim Coulson suggests that while extinction is inevitable for all species, humans leaving the scene could let other life forms fill ecological roles, with octopuses highlighted as potential civilization-building successors due to their problem-solving abilities and decentralized nervous system—though they’d still face challenges adapting to land; evolution remains unpredictable and intelligence could emerge in surprising ways.

via Earth.com|

#animals #earth-after-humans #evolution

science1 month ago•7 min saved

Octopuses Could Dominate Earth After Humans, New Analysis Suggests

Oxford biologist Tim Coulson argues that if humans vanished, octopuses—with their decentralized nervous system, problem-solving skills, and environmental versatility—could be best positioned to build a civilization and survive an upheaval of global ecosystems. While primates and birds show intelligence, limited lifespans and social constraints make them unlikely successors, and octopuses face challenges like short lifespans and the current lack of intergenerational culture. The scenario remains speculative, contingent on long-term evolutionary changes and environmental conditions.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#evolution #intelligence #neuroscience

science3 months ago•2 min saved

Scientists Develop Octopus-Inspired Adaptive Camouflage and Skin Technologies

Scientists at Stanford have developed a synthetic skin that mimics octopus camouflage by changing texture and color independently, using water-responsive polymers and optical layers, with potential applications in soft robotics and adaptive displays.

via theregister.com|

#adaptive-materials #camouflage #octopus

science6 months ago•4 min saved

Octopus Arms: Nature's Most Flexible and Complex Structures

Scientists study the complex and flexible movements of octopus arms in the wild to inspire the design of advanced robotic arms capable of delicate and precise tasks, highlighting the octopus's remarkable intelligence and adaptability as models for technological innovation.

via Earth.com|

#animal-behavior #biomechanics #flexibility

science6 months ago•3 min saved

Octopus Arms Demonstrate Remarkable Flexibility and Task Specialization

New research shows octopuses are highly skilled multitaskers, capable of using any of their eight arms to perform complex movements simultaneously, which could inform robotics and neuroscience studies.

via NBC News|

#arm-movements #marine-biology #multitasking

biology7 months ago•32 min saved

Octopus Arms: Versatile Tools for Complex Behaviors

This study investigates how octopus arms facilitate complex behaviors in natural environments, revealing high flexibility, diverse arm actions, and localized deformations that support their ecological adaptability and inspire soft robotics. It highlights the hierarchical organization of behaviors, arm actions, and deformations, demonstrating that octopus arms can perform nearly all actions and deformations across all arms, with some task-specific partitioning, especially between anterior and posterior arms, in various shallow-water habitats.

via Nature|

#arm-deformations #arm-flexibility #biology

science7 months ago•1 min saved

Octopuses' Arm Flexibility and Task Preferences Unveiled

Researchers at Florida Atlantic University have analyzed octopus arm movements to create a detailed visual dictionary, breaking down their complex motions into basic components to better understand how these animals use their flexible, muscular arms for various behaviors.

via The New York Times|

#animal-behavior #arm-movements #marine-biology

science7 months ago•2 min saved

Deep-Sea Octopuses Revealed by New Underwater Camera

Scientists captured a video of a bright orange octopus drifting at over 1,000 meters deep, using its color for camouflage in the dark ocean, likely as a survival strategy, during the 2023 Octopus Odyssey expedition.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#bioluminescence #deep-sea #marine-biology

science9 months ago•2 min saved

Maori Octopus's Bold Ray Meal Choice

A Maori octopus named Priscilla was observed hunting and successfully consuming a banjo shark in Australian waters, showcasing the impressive hunting skills and intelligence of this large Southern Hemisphere species.

via IFLScience|

#maori-octopus #marine-life #octopus

science10 months ago•2 min saved

Ghost Animal Caught on Camera Deep in Pacific Ocean

A 2024 expedition to the Nazca Ridge in the South Pacific captured rare footage of deep-sea creatures, including the first live recording of a 'Casper octopus' at 4,443 meters depth, revealing new insights into abyssal marine life.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#deep-sea-creatures #marine-life #nazca-ridge

science1 year ago•4 min saved

Octopus Camouflage: A High-Energy Masterpiece

A study by biologists Sofie C. Sonner and Kirt L. Onthank reveals that the rapid color-changing ability of octopuses is energetically demanding, akin to a 23-minute jog for humans. This process involves specialized skin cells called chromatophores, which require significant oxygen consumption. The high metabolic cost may explain certain octopus behaviors, such as hiding in dens to conserve energy. The research highlights the exceptional energetic demands of cephalopod color change, suggesting it is one of the most costly forms of color change in the animal kingdom.

via Forbes|

#chromatophores #color-change #energetic-cost