World’s Oldest Octopus Fossil Is Not an Octopus, Scientists Reveal

The application of advanced scanning technology has led scientists to re-identify a 300-million-year-old fossil previously celebrated as the world’s oldest octopus. New research indicates that the specimen, known as Pohlsepia mazonensis, is actually a relative of the nautilus, a cephalopod characterized by having both tentacles and a shell.

The findings, published by the University of Reading, correct a long-standing classification that had even earned the fossil a place in the Guinness World Records. The re-evaluation fundamentally alters the scientific timeline regarding the evolution of octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish.

Technological Re-evaluation of Fossil Evidence

The fossil was first described in the early 2000s. At that time, researchers believed the creature pushed the origins of the octopus lineage back by more than 150 million years. However, recent scans have provided a clearer view of the fossil’s anatomy, revealing that it does not belong to the octopus family.

Dr. Thomas Clements, a Lecturer in Invertebrate Zoology at the University of Reading and the lead author of the research, noted that the specimen is one of the world’s most famous fossils of its kind. The use of imaging technology allowed the team to resolve the mystery of the controversial specimen and identify its true relation to the nautilus.

Impact on Evolutionary Understanding

The misidentification of Pohlsepia mazonensis had significant implications for the understood history of cephalopods. By identifying the creature as a relative of the nautilus rather than an octopus, the research rewrites the timeline of when octopuses first evolved.

The distinction is critical in zoology, as the nautilus represents a different evolutionary path within the cephalopod group compared to the more flexible, shell-less octopuses. The updated classification removes the 300-million-year-old specimen from the octopus lineage, effectively moving the known origin of these animals forward in time.

This development highlights the role of iterative scientific analysis and the ability of new scanning tools to correct historical records based on previous interpretations of physical remains.