Tag : Octopuses

Washington: Octopuses have captivated scientists and the general public with their extraordinary intelligence, which includes the use of tools, engaging in creative play and problem-solving, and even escaping from aquariums. Their sharpness may now be a crucial link in understanding the evolution of complex life and cognition, including the human brain. An international team led by researchers at Dartmouth College and the Max Delbruck Center (MDC) in Germany report in the journal Science Advances that octopuses are the first known invertebrates -- creatures that lack a backbone and constitute roughly 95% of animal species -- to contain a high number of gene-regulating molecules known as microRNAs. The genes of two octopus species show an increase in microRNAs -- which are linked to the development of advanced cells with specific functions -- over evolutionary time that has so far only been found in humans, mammals and other vertebrates. When combined with the known intelligence of octopuses, the findings provide crucial support for the theory that microRNAs are key to the evolution of intelligent life, said co-corresponding author Kevin Peterson, a Dartmouth professor of biological sciences. The nervous systems of octopuses and squids -- which both belong to a type of mollusk known as cephalopods -- evolved independently of vertebrates. Yet, the prevalence of microRNAs in both octopuses and vertebrates suggest a common role for the molecules in advanced cognition. "MicroRNAs are known as the 'dark matter' of the animal genome -- they don't make protein, but they regulate the expression of proteins," Peterson said, referring to the hypothetical form of matter thought to constitute most of the universe. "This is the only instance in ...