What was the 300-million-year-old fossil previously identified as?

The 300-million-year-old fossil, Pohlsepia mazonensis, was previously identified and recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest octopus.

What new research was conducted on the fossil?

New research utilized a synchrotron to analyze the fossil's internal structure, specifically examining its radula, which revealed it had too many teeth to be an octopus.

Home / Science / Octopus Crown Lost: Ancient Fossil Reclassified

Octopus Crown Lost: Ancient Fossil Reclassified

Q: What is the significance of reclassifying the fossil?

Reclassifying the fossil as a nautilus relative revises our understanding of cephalopod evolutionary timelines, as the next oldest octopus fossil is significantly younger.

9 Apr

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Summary

300-million-year-old fossil no longer considered oldest octopus.
New research identifies fossilized remains as a nautilus relative.
Synchrotron scans revealed teeth inconsistent with octopus classification.

Octopus Crown Lost: Ancient Fossil Reclassified

A fossil previously recognized as the world's oldest octopus, dating back 300 million years, has been reclassified as a nautilus relative. This finding, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, resolves longstanding scientific debate surrounding the fossil, Pohlsepia mazonensis. Researchers employed a synchrotron, a powerful light source, to examine the fossil's internal structure.

The analysis revealed a radula with too many teeth for an octopus, instead matching that of a fossil nautiloid. This discovery revises our understanding of cephalopod evolutionary timelines, as the next oldest octopus fossil is only 90 million years old. The Field Museum in Chicago houses the fossil, which is now acknowledged as potentially the oldest soft-tissue nautilus known globally.

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