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LONDON (AP) — A 300-million-year-old tentacled sea creature has lost its crown as the world’s oldest octopus, after scientists found evidence that it’s not an octopus at all.
University of Reading zoologist Thomas Clements, the lead researcher behind the new findings, said the fossil, Pohlsepia mazonensis, has long been the subject of scientific debate.
“If you look at it and you are a cephalopod researcher and you’re interested in everything octopus, it does superficially look a lot like a deep-water octopus.”.
The next oldest-known octopus fossil is only about 90 million years old.
“And that’s how we realize that the world’s oldest octopus is actually a fossil nautilus, not an octopus.”.
“We will be resting the original ‘oldest octopus fossil’ title and look forward to reviewing this new evidence,” he said. »