A new study in Science reveals evidence of 19-meter-long predatory octopuses from the Cretaceous period, challenging the long-held view that marine apex predators were exclusively vertebrates. Researchers used advanced 'Digital Fossil Mining' techniques to identify fossilized beaks, indicating these intelligent invertebrates competed with mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. The discovery reshapes understanding of Mesozoic marine ecosystems and invertebrate evolutionary roles.
Background
Cretaceous marine ecosystems were traditionally thought to be dominated by large vertebrate predators like mosasaurs, with invertebrates occupying lower trophic levels. Soft-bodied organisms like octopuses rarely fossilize, leaving significant gaps in understanding their ecological roles.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Apr 25, 2026 at 01:23 AM
- Score
- 6.0 / 10