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A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet (18 meters), rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet (7 to 19 meters) in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time."
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet (18 meters), rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet (7 to 19 meters) in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time."
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet (18 meters), rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet (7 to 19 meters) in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time."
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet (18 meters), rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet (7 to 19 meters) in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time."
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
NEW YORK (AP) -- The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet (18 meters), rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. READ ALSO: Giant Pacific octopus shoots video of itself after claiming camera from Vancouver Island divers Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet (7 to 19 meters) in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time."
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet (18 meters), rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet (7 to 19 meters) in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time."
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet (18 meters), rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet (7 to 19 meters) in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time."
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet (18 meters), rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet (7 to 19 meters) in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time."
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet (18 meters), rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet (7 to 19 meters) in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time."
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
NEW YORK (AP) -- The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet, rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time."
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
NEW YORK (AP) -- The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet, rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time."
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
NEW YORK (AP) -- The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet, rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time."
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
NEW YORK (AP) -- The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet, rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time."
Earliest octopuses were Kraken-like sea monsters, fossils show | CBC News
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. Monstrous octopuses the size of modern whales prowled the seas during the Age of Dinosaurs, snatching prey with their huge tentacles and crunching them with powerful jaws, fossils from B.C. and Japan suggest. Like mythical, tentacled sea monsters such as the Kraken, these creatures grew as large as 19 metres long -- about the size of a sei whale, the third largest living whale -- reports a new study published in the journal Science Thursday. One of two species described, Nanaimotethis haggarti, "may even have been among the largest invertebrates in Earth's history," wrote Yasuhiro Iba, a professor at the University of Hokkaido and the senior author of the study, in an email. The official record holder, the modern giant or colossal squid, tops out at around 12 metres. Cameron Tsujita, a paleontology professor at Western University in London, Ont., said Nanaimotethis was "terrifyingly large," even with a wide margin of error. Tsujita wasn't involved in the study. Not only were these octopuses huge, but they appeared capable of eating prey well protected with hard shells, based on the wear patterns on their fossilized beaks, Iba and his collaborators in Japan and Germany reported. "Nanaimoteuthis likely used its large body and long arms to capture prey and its powerful jaws to crush hard structures such as shells and bones." At a time when huge, predatory marine reptiles such as mosasaurs and elasmosaurus were thought to have ruled the seas, this would have given smaller animals such as fish, sea turtles and octopus relatives such as ammonites something more to worry about. Iba wrote, "Our study shows that giant invertebrates -- octopuses -- were also part of the top predator community." Tsujita said one observation from the study he found particularly intriguing was that the octopuses' jaws or beaks were more worn on one side than the other, suggesting they had a preference for grabbing prey on one side -- a level of "handedness" that's associated with intelligence. (Modern octopuses are known to be highly intelligent.) The fossils were beaks or jaws found in rock formations on Vancouver Island, B.C. (the species are named after the Nanaimo Group deposit) and in Hokkaido, Japan. Some of them are housed at the Courtenay and District Museum and Paleontological Centre in Courtenay, B.C. Because fossilization usually happens to harder materials like bones and shells, soft-bodied octopuses rarely fossilize. Only octopus beaks or jaws, made of the protein chitin (also found in lobster and beetle shells), which are harder for crushing prey, sometimes get fossilized. But even chitin is hard to separate from rock, and traditional techniques often shave off part of the fossil, said Misha Whittingham, a paleontologist from Vancouver Island who has been studying fossil relatives of octopuses for more than a decade. Whittingham wasn't involved in the new study. To get more detailed "specimens," Iba and his colleagues used a technique they called "digital fossil mining" (also known as "grinding tomography). They took rocks from areas where similar fossils were found without any visible fossils on the surface, and shaved them layer by layer, taking high-resolution images that were then analyzed and put back together into a 3D model using AI. By comparing the detailed specimens to modern squids and octopuses, they were able to confirm that the two Nanaimotethis species weren't vampire squids as previously thought, but finned octopuses. Modern finned octopuses, unlike coastal finless octopuses that people may be more familiar with, live mostly in the deep ocean. The comparisons also allowed the researchers to estimate the octopuses' size. From the detailed digital fossils, they analyzed of the wear patterns on the beaks of octopuses of different sizes and ages, suggesting that they ate very hard prey that wore their beaks down over time. The octopuses in this study lived 100 million to 72 million years ago. That makes them at least five million years older than any other known octopus fossils. Whittingham, now a postdoctoral researcher at the Open University in Milton Keynes, U.K., said that's already interesting and important. The way octopuses evolved is largely a mystery, since so few of their fossils are ever found. The fact that Nanaimotethis were so different from modern octopuses raises questions about the origins of octopuses overall, Whittingham added. "What happened? Why? Why are octopus now the way they are and not the way these octopus were?"
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
NEW YORK (AP) -- The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet, rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time."
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
NEW YORK (AP) -- The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet, rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time."
The kraken was real: scientists discover a 100-million-year-old carnivorous octopus the size of an articulated bus
For centuries, the kraken was a creature of human imagination, the giant octopus that would coil around ships and drag them to the bottom of the sea to devour their sailors, according to legend. A study published this Thursday in the journal Science demonstrates that the legend had an astonishing paleontological basis: in the oceans of the Late Cretaceous, between 100 and 72 million years ago, there existed giant octopuses that could reach 19 meters in length, were carnivorous, and occupied the top of the food chain, competing with the large marine reptiles that until now were considered the sole rulers of those seas. The scientific team that made this discovery, led by Shin Ikegami of Hokkaido University (Japan), identified two extinct cephalopod species -- Nanaimoteuthis jeletzkyi and N. haggarti -- from the analysis of 27 fossilized beaks recovered from marine sediments in Japan and Vancouver Island, Canada. The larger species, N. haggarti, would have reached between 7 and 19 meters in total length, figures that place it among the largest invertebrates ever described in the fossil record, and put it on par with mosasaurs, the gigantic marine reptiles of the Cretaceous period, and plesiosaurs. Octopuses have always been very difficult to study in the fossil record because they are invertebrates. Unlike dinosaurs, they don't leave bones behind, and unlike ammonites, they don't leave shells. What does endure are their jaws, hard structures that scientists call "beaks" because of their resemblance to those of birds of prey. And these beaks, when well preserved, tell many stories: they not only allow us to estimate the size of the animal, but also what it ate. The wear on the beak is key to the study. Cephalopods that feed on hard-shelled prey -- crustaceans, mollusks, bony fish -- develop characteristic wear on the edge and tip of the beak, which erodes with repeated use. It's the same principle as a knife sharpened against stones: the tool retains the memory of its use. In adult specimens of Nanaimoteuthis, wear removed up to 10% of the total beak length, more than in any known modern cephalopod, suggesting intense and sustained predatory activity throughout the animal's life. Regarding the reliability of these estimates, Ikegami is cautious but firm: "N. haggarti was comparable in size to the modern giant squid, and many estimates exceed it. The conclusion that it was among the largest invertebrates in Earth's history is robust," the researcher states. Furthermore, there is an even more revealing detail: the wear is not symmetrical. The right edge of the jaw appears more worn than the left in both species. This lateralization, that is, the tendency to preferentially use one side of the body, is associated in modern animals with more developed brains and more complex cognitive behaviors. Modern octopuses exhibit this trait, and their intelligence, documented in numerous studies, is comparable to that of many vertebrates. The finding suggests that octopuses were already intelligent animals 100 million years ago. Specifically, the Late Cretaceous, between 100 and 66 million years ago, is the period that ended with the massive impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. It was a world of warm, shallow seas that covered vast areas of what are now the continents. According to scientific consensus, these seas were ruled by large vertebrates: mosasaurs up to 17 meters long, plesiosaurs up to 12 meters, and shell-crushing sharks like Ptychodus, up to 10 meters long. Invertebrates were, in this narrative, the victims; organisms that developed increasingly thick and elaborate shells as an evolutionary response to the predatory pressure of vertebrates. The new study turns that narrative on its head. Nanaimoteuthis haggarti wasn't a victim: it was a competitor. Measuring between 7 and 19 meters in length, with powerful jaws, long, flexible arms -- the hunting strategy of octopuses doesn't require a huge mouth, but rather limbs that can grasp and hold while the beak dismembers -- and likely intelligence, these giant cephalopods probably occupied the same level in the food chain as mosasaurs. Whether they interbred, no one knows yet. But the possibility of an octopus the size of an articulated bus hunting marine reptiles is no longer science fiction. And, in any case, vertebrates and cephalopods arrived at the same point -- becoming large, intelligent predators -- by different, but surprisingly parallel, paths. Vertebrates lost their armor plates and reduced their scales to gain speed and agility. Cephalopods eventually shed their external shells to become soft-bodied animals that were faster, had better vision, and greater cognitive abilities. Both groups developed powerful jaws. Ikegami admits that intelligence cannot be measured in a fossil, but it can be inferred: "Asymmetric wear does not directly prove intelligence, but it suggests that Nanaimoteuthis was not just a large and powerful predator: it may also have had advanced behavior and even individual behaviors, similar in some ways to modern octopuses." An inevitable question is where they lived. Modern giant octopuses inhabit the abyssal depths. But Ikegami rules out that Nanaimoteuthis led that kind of lifestyle: "It wasn't a coastal environment, but neither was it the kind of deep-sea environment where many giant octopuses live today. It was a relatively open ocean environment, with diverse marine life. Nanaimoteuthis was probably a large predator; it used its long arms, powerful jaws, large body, and enormous mobility to capture and devour prey such as ammonites, large bivalves, fish, and other cephalopods." A fundamental part of the study was methodological. A dozen of the 27 beaks analyzed were not found with a pick and hammer, but with what the authors call "digital fossil mining": a combination of high-resolution tomography -- which generates images of cross-sections of the rock at a microscopic scale -- and an artificial intelligence model, trained to detect organic structures, that is, animal remains, in huge sets of images. The technique, developed by the team itself, made it possible to find jaws that would have gone completely unnoticed with conventional methods, they say, and to visualize them as digital three-dimensional models without damaging the rock that contains them.
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
NEW YORK (AP) -- The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet, rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time."
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
NEW YORK (AP) -- The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet, rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time." The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
NEW YORK (AP) -- The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus. New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet, rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles. "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel Klompmaker said in an email. He had no role in the new research. Dinosaur fans know that late Cretaceous-era waters were ruled by sharp-toothed sharks and sea reptiles known as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Why do octopuses get left out of the mix? Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams. But since their soft bodies don't preserve well, it's hard to figure out exactly how big the creatures got. There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates -- creatures without backbones -- weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators. But octopus' beaks made of stiffened chitin are tough enough to crush shelled and bony critters. In the new study, researchers studied the jaws of 15 ancient octopus fossils that were previously found in Japan and Canada's Vancouver Island. They also identified 12 more jaws from Japan using a technique they created called digital fossil mining, which closely scans rocks in cross-sections to reveal fossils hiding inside. They compared the jaws to that of modern-day octopuses to estimate how large the creatures may have been, and determined that the ancient octopuses ranged from 23 to 62 feet in length. The largest jaw was substantially bigger than that of any modern octopus, said co-author and paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba with Hokkaido University in an email. They also found that the largest creatures' jaws had significant wear and tear including scratches, chips and rounded edges, suggesting that "the animals repeatedly crushed hard prey such as shells and bones," said Iba. The findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Without access to the octopuses' stomach contents, it's hard to know for sure what they were eating or whether they truly competed with other top predators for their meals. They could have snacked on fish or snails, snatching prey with flexible arms and breaking it apart with their beaks. Looking for octopus fossils in other places might help scientists get a clearer idea of how they factor into ancient food webs, said paleontologist Neil Landman with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a big old planet," said Landman, who wasn't involved with the new research. "So we have lots to look at to piece together the marine ecosystem through time."
