Video: New Theory Suggests Octopus DNA Comes From Space
OutdoorHub Reporters 06.04.18
We’ve witnessed octopuses pull off some pretty incredible stunts before, but this video might have you questioning whether these creatures are originally from planet Earth, or not. A recent study suggests octopus DNA may be extraterrestrial. . .
While it’s highly unlikely that octopuses are actually space aliens that arrived on Earth aboard a frozen meteor, octopuses are among few animals on Earth who are capable of editing their own bodies to perfectly match their surroundings.
This dubious theory, however, came about after a team of scientists reportedly published a paper in the journal Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology that explored this idea and more.
According to the study’s authors, octopuses have an incredibly complex nervous system, advanced camera-like vision, and an ability for camouflage that evolved suddenly and without precedent in their family tree. The genes for these adaptations don’t seem to have come from octopus ancestors, the authors wrote, but “it is plausible then to suggest [these traits] seem to be borrowed from a far distant ‘future’ in terms of terrestrial evolution, or more realistically from the cosmos at large.”
Other researchers though, are not buying it. “There’s no question, early biology is fascinating – but I think this, if anything, is counterproductive,” Ken Stedman, a virologist and professor of biology at Portland State University, told Live Science. “Many of the claims in this paper are beyond speculative, and not even really looking at the literature.”
Whether you believe the scientist’s theory or not, we’re pretty envious of the level of camouflage these creatures are on!
Check it out in this amazing video:
