Only for people with imagination and a sense of humor!
For several weeks, I have been the “impresario” of an (imaginary) Octopus Vaudeville show. Each of the six acts is based on the actual physiology of a specific octopus species. I have chosen music for each act with a link to YouTube so you can listen. These links are in the program below.
I collaborated with Gemini and ChatGPT under my strict creative direction. All art work (except for the poster which was created by ChatGPT) are original watercolors.
For centuries, humans have told stories about the legendary Kraken, a huge octopus that coud sink ships whole. But roughly 100 million years ago, a sort of Kraken may have actually existed. Researchers found fossils suggesting that these early octopuses could have reached 19 meters in legnth.
Their fossil jaws show extensive chips, scratches and asymmetric wear, which are signs of crushing, powerful bites. It may also suggest lateralized behavior linked to advanced cognition. In other words: some of the earliest known octopuses were huge and intelligent, possibly dominating their ecosystem.
Just came across an interesting article about octopuses, which I’m sure you’re aware of, Wendy:
Octopuses have nine brains, three hearts, and blue copper-based blood, and roughly two-thirds of their neurons live in their arms, meaning each limb can taste, decide, and problem-solve without checking in with the central brain.
@AlphaWolf the oldest true octopus fossil is 164 million years old (though the broader cephalopod stem-group diverged 330 million years ago).
That’s a lllloooonnnngggg time for evolution to fine-tune an animal.
The typical octopus food moves very fast. Octopuses eat fish, shrimp and crabs. It’s a real survival advantage to have an arm that can touch, sense and suction-catch instantaneously without wasting the fraction of a second to consult a central brain. It’s not over-engineered.
And, by the way, the octopus eye is superior to the human eye.
No Blind Spot: Human optic nerves pass through the retina, creating a blind spot. Octopus nerve fibers route behind the retina, allowing continuous vision.
Direct Wiring: Octopus photoreceptors point directly outward toward incoming light. Human photoreceptors point backward, forcing light to pass through nerve layers first.
Focused Lens: Octopuses focus by physically moving the lens closer or further from the retina, like a camera. Humans focus by stretching and distorting the lens shape.
Polarized Vision: Octopuses can detect the orientation of light waves (polarization). This ability helps them spot camouflaged prey and see clearly in murky water.
In many ways, humans are under-engineered. Then again, our species has been around for less than half a million years. And we interrupt evolution in many ways, especially with technology.
