Giant Octopuses Identified as Ancient Ocean Apex Predators, Study Finds
Updated
Updated · CNN · Apr 23
Giant Octopuses Identified as Ancient Ocean Apex Predators, Study Finds
52 articles · Updated · CNN · Apr 23
Fossil discoveries reveal that giant octopuses up to 19 metres long were apex predators in the Cretaceous oceans 100 million years ago.
Analysis of well-preserved jaw fossils shows these octopuses crushed bones and shells, rivaling large marine reptiles like mosasaurs in size and predatory role.
The findings challenge previous assumptions that only vertebrates dominated ancient seas, suggesting marine ecosystems were more complex than previously believed.
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