Meet the 19-metre octopus that prowled the ancient seas
Giant octopuses may have dominated ancient oceans 100 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed, according to new research.
Some of the earliest octopuses are believed to have been powerful predators, equipped with powerful arms to capture prey and beak-like jaws to gnaw the shells and bones of other animals.
A new study of some exceptionally well-preserved jaws suggests they reached up to 19 meters long, potentially making them the largest invertebrates scientists have ever known.
For decades, paleontologists believed that the top predators in the oceans were vertebrates with backbones, such as fish and reptiles, while invertebrates such as octopuses and squid played supporting roles.
Giant Pacific Octopus meets a diver on the ocean floor [Getty Images]
New research by scientists at Hokkaido University in Japan challenges the picture scientists have of ancient octopuses.
Analysis of fossil jaws shows that giant octopuses glided through the oceans, equipped with the ability to chew the hard shells and skeletons of large fish and marine reptiles.
The study estimates its body length to be around 1.5 to 4.5 meters; total length reaches approximately 7 to 19 meters when long arms are included.
Even at the lower end of this range, the animal would have been very large by today’s standards.
Another striking feature is that the wear on the fossilized jaws is not equal from left to right, suggesting that the animals may have preferred one side while feeding.
In living animals, favoring one side of the body over another is linked to improved brain function.
Octopuses are known for their extraordinary intelligence and masters of camouflage. [Getty Images]
Modern octopuses are known for their intelligence, problem-solving abilities and complex hunting strategies.
The arm span of the Giant Pacific Octopus, the largest living species today, can exceed 5.5 meters.
Video footage shows these animals battling sharks longer than one meter.
Paleontologist Christian Klug from the University of Zurich, who examined the research, said, “They could hold on to such an animal perfectly with their tentacles and suction cups, and there was no escape from this.”
But there are still many questions. Scientists can only guess the animals’ exact shape, the size of their fins, or how fast they could swim.
And no fossils with stomach contents have yet been found that would provide direct evidence of what they ate.
Palaeontologist Dr. from the University of Bath. Nick Longrich said he had a hunch they were hunting mostly ammonites.
But just like modern octopuses, they are opportunistic and greedy predators and would not miss other prey if they had the chance.
“It’s going to take us a while to figure this thing out,” he said. “It’s a bit of a mystery.”
For now, the fossils offer an intriguing glimpse of a deep-seated giant who roamed the ancient seas, with a crushing jaw, powerful arms and a brain that could have helped him compete with other predators.
The research was published in the journal, Science.
