Octopuses, the world’s most intelligent invertebrates with 8 arms, 3 hearts, 9 brains and more than 1000 suction cups, have been discovered to share common genes with humans. According to the results of the study conducted by the Max Delbruck Center in Berlin, a worm-like creature that lived 518 million years ago is the common ancestor of the octopus and humans.Contains human-like nerve tissue
Known as Facivermis yunnanicus, this creature is the earliest known animal to have evolved to rip off body parts it doesn’t need. Moreover, this creature attracts attention with its intelligence. What makes it clever is that it contains a variety of gene regulators called microRNAs. German scientists discovered that these genes, which are involved in the development of complex brain functions, are also present in octopuses in similar numbers to humans. “This is what connects us to the octopus,” Professor Nikolaus Rajewsky, who took part in the study, said in a statement. said.
The study analyzed 18 different tissue samples from dead octopuses and identified a total of 42 new microRNA families, mostly in the brain. Of the new microRNAs discovered, the study’s lead author said: “This is the third largest expansion of microRNA families in the animal kingdom. For reference, oysters, the mollusks, have acquired only five new microRNAs since their last shared ancestor with octopuses, while octopuses have acquired 90.”
In the video below, you can watch the jar opening experiment that reveals how smart octopuses are.
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