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A12   science
                  Wednesday 9 March 2022

                                                                      Octopus ancestors lived before era of

                                                                      dinosaurs, study shows


                                                                      By CHRISTINA LARSON          an ink sac,” probably used   er  to  an  octopus  than  a
                                                                      AP Science Writer            to  squirt  out  a  dark  liquid   squid.  Previously,  the  “old-
                                                                      WASHINGTON  (AP)  —  Sci-    cloak  to  help  to  evade   est known definitive” vam-
                                                                      entists have found the old-  predators, just like modern   pyropod was from around
                                                                      est known ancestor of oc-    octopuses,  said  Christo-   240  million  years  ago,  the
                                                                      topuses – an approximate-    pher Whalen, an American     authors said.
                                                                      ly 330 million-year-old fossil   Museum  of  Natural  History   Whether  or  not  having  an
                                                                      unearthed in Montana.        paleontologist  and  co-au-  ancient octopus — or vam-
                                                                      The  researchers  conclud-   thor of the study published   pire  squid  —  bearing  your
                                                                      ed  the  ancient  creature   Tuesday  in  the  journal  Na-  name  is  actually  a  com-
                                                                      lived millions of years earlier   ture Communications.    pliment,  the  scientists  say
                                                                      than  previously  believed,   The  creature,  a  vampyro-  they  intended  admiration
                                                                      meaning  that  octopuses     pod,  was  likely  the  ances-  for the president’s science
                                                                      originated  before  the  era   tor  of  both  modern  octo-  and research priorities.q
                                                                      of dinosaurs.                puses and vampire squid, a
                                                                      The  4.7-inch  (12-centime-  confusingly named marine
                                                                      ter)  fossil  has  10  limbs  —   critter  that’s  much  clos-
                                                                      modern  octopuses  have
                                                                      eight  —  each  with  two
                                                                      rows of suckers. It probably
                                                                      lived in a shallow, tropical
                                                                      ocean bay.
                                                                      “It’s very rare to find soft tis-
                                                                      sue fossils, except in a few   Condo for sale
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                                                                      But  then  paleontologists   Tierra del sol
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