The real-life KRAKEN: Giant octopuses the same size as sperm whales roamed the oceans 72 million years ago, study finds

New research reveals that ancient oceans were once ruled by giant ‘kraken-like’ octopuses that were up to 19 meters tall.

Scientists have discovered evidence of a massive beast that hunted in Late Cretaceous seas between 72 and 100 million years ago.

They competed with, and perhaps even preyed on, large dinosaurs from the top of the ocean, such as the wild mosasaur.

Experts said this was unusual because they evolved to have soft bodies rather than protective shells.

But this may have given them unprecedented mobility, vision and intelligence.

The discovery was made after a team re-examined 15 large fossil jaws from ancient octopus relatives and found two new species, one of which grew to remarkable sizes.

This species, called Nanaimoteuthis haggarti, had extensive wear on its jaws, indicating that they were active carnivores that regularly crushed hard shells and bones with powerful bites.

They are also believed to use their long, flexible arms to capture large prey and tear them into pieces with their powerful beaks; This is a behavior linked to advanced intelligence.

“This intense wear suggests dynamic crushing of hard skeletons,” the team from Hokkaido University wrote in the journal. Science.

‘With a calculated total length (up to 19 m), these octopuses may represent the largest invertebrates so described, rivaling contemporary giant marine reptiles.’

For comparison, humans stand on average 1.7 meters tall, while elephants reach a height of around 3 metres.

This ancient octopus would also dwarf a London bus, which is nearly 11 meters long.

Although at 20 m long it was comparable to the length of the sperm whale, it was not the same size as the blue whale, which can grow up to 27 m.

The other newly discovered species, called Nanaimoteuthis jeletzkyi, was also a predator but smaller in size and could grow up to 26 feet (8 m) long.

The findings show that these two species are not just prey, the researchers said.

Instead, they became highly active participants in shaping marine ecosystems, while taking on roles previously attributed only to large vertebrates such as sharks.

The wear and tear found on the fossilized jaws indicate that they were active carnivores that routinely crushed hard shells and bones, the team said.

“The jaws in the largest individuals showed extensive wear in the smaller juveniles, where once-sharp features became dull and rounded over time,” the scientists said.

‘The long scratches spread across large areas of their jaws reflect the dynamic use of the entire jaw to tear apart prey.’

They said the loss of jaw edges was not equal on both sides, indicating that octopuses had a “preferred” side for chewing.

This is linked to a highly developed brain and cognition, indicating that ‘early octopuses already had advanced intelligence’.

“Long after the emergence of vertebrate predators, octopuses evolved body plans that rivaled them, as seen here,” the team concluded.

Researchers have previously noted that the skin patterns octopuses create while napping may indicate that they are capable of doing something similar to dreaming.

Like humans, octopuses switch between two sleep stages; a quiet phase and an active phase that resembles rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in mammals.

When awake, octopuses create a number of different skin patterns that they use to camouflage themselves in different environments and in social or threat displays, such as warning predators and communicating with each other.

Size of N. haggarti compared to other marine predators of the time. A human is also depicted, showing the size of the ancient colossal beast.

The study found that animals switch between the same skin patterns during active sleep.

Other ancient octopus-like predators include the earliest known ancestor of the vampire squid, which had extra-long suction cups and hair-like filaments on its arms that it used to trap prey.

This differs from today’s vampire squid, which has less robust suction cups that feed exclusively on drifting organic matter and are not designed for active hunting.

A research team from Sorbonne University in France used a three-dimensional imaging technique on a 164-million-year-old fossilized specimen of this cephalopod.

They found evidence of muscular suction cups at the ends of two specialized, long dorsal arms; This indicates that it is an active predator.