Hokkaido University paleontologists identify giant finned octopus species up to 61 feet long
Updated
Updated · ZME Science · Apr 27
Hokkaido University paleontologists identify giant finned octopus species up to 61 feet long
2 articles · Updated · ZME Science · Apr 27
Researchers analyzed 27 fossil octopus jaws from Japan and Vancouver Island, revealing two new species: Nanaimoteuthis jeletzkyi and N. haggarti, with the latter reaching up to 62 feet.
Digital fossil mining and AI-assisted imaging uncovered rare three-dimensional jaw fossils, showing heavy wear and suggesting these octopuses were aggressive top predators rivaling mosasaurs in size.
The findings revise the view of Cretaceous seas as dominated only by vertebrate predators, indicating giant, intelligent invertebrates also occupied apex roles and pushing back the known record of finned octopuses by 15 million years.
Can a fossilized beak truly prove advanced intelligence in an extinct animal?
Was the 62-foot octopus a top predator, or is its size wildly overestimated?
How is AI revealing prehistoric 'krakens' that were once thought to be mythical?
What can this ancient giant teach us about modern octopus evolution?
How does this discovery change our view of life in dinosaur-era oceans?