https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Cephalopods, like the octopus, have specialized arms and suckers, but how these structures evolved from the simple bodies of their mollusk ancestors remains a mystery. Researchers from the University of Tokyo compared gene activity during embryonic development of cuttlefish, octopus and snail body parts. They found that several genes associated with appendage patterning showed expression along developing cephalopod arms, but no comparable patterns in developing suckers. Developing suckers instead expressed Ets1, a gene associated with early embryonic development in mollusks. The findings suggest cephalopods evolved suckers by reusing existing genes in new ways. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-octopus-cuttlefish-suckers-evolved-repurposing.html Plants & Animals Tue, 20 Oct 2026 09:30:01 EDT news711634621 Octopuses, squid and cuttlefish, collectively known as coleoid cephalopods, have evolved exceptionally large and elaborately structured nervous systems capable of complex behaviors such as problem-solving and rapid camouflage. A new study by scientists at the University of Vienna suggests that the origins of this complexity may lie not just in the genes themselves, but in how the genome is organized in 3D. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-3d-genome-entanglement-cephalopods-evolved.html Plants & Animals Fri, 09 Oct 2026 05:00:12 EDT news710674442 Plesiosaurs swam into river deltas to vomit up shells and other indigestible elements of their marine meals, suggests new research published by Cambridge University Press. The behavior resembles that of today's fur seals and marine crocodiles. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-queasy-plesiosaurs-swam-shore-vomit.html Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 22 Sep 2026 19:00:01 EDT news709201289 Cephalopods are a group of soft-bodied marine mollusks that include cuttlefish, octopuses, squid and nautiluses. Many of these mollusks have muscular suckers on their arms that allow them to seize prey or grip other surfaces in their surroundings. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-cuttlefish-suckers-reveal-rough-prey.html Plants & Animals Thu, 17 Sep 2026 07:40:04 EDT news708600523 Extant and ancient cephalopods—including octopuses, squids, extinct ammonites, cuttlefish and nautiluses—have all had to solve the problem of buoyancy, whether they have hard external shells or not. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-early-cambrian-fossil-uncovers-key.html Evolution Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:40:05 EDT news704541901 The octopus is a biological oddity. It can use tools, open jars, and its complex nervous system supports as many neurons as a small primate. Now Harvard biologists have discovered a mysterious distinction in octopuses' core biology: Some octopuses have an unusual adaptation in the protein-making machinery of their cells that helps ensure accuracy, perhaps an evolutionary byproduct of their acute sensory system. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-biology-cells-octopus-sleeve.html Plants & Animals Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:00:10 EDT news704447041 An ongoing research project exploring the effects of rising levels of oceanic CO2 on squid neurology reveals that exposure to future levels of ocean acidification could shrink their brain volume by around 50%. This severe brain shrinkage appears to be most pronounced in the areas that interpret visual information, correlating with significant reductions in normal feeding behaviors and suggesting serious consequences for the future of squid and other cephalopods. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ocean-acidification-brains-world-intelligent.html Plants & Animals Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:00:05 EDT news702630449 Octopuses, squid and cuttlefish may have evolved large brains because of the challenges posed by their environments rather than the demands of social life, according to a new study published in iScience today. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ecological-factors-social-behavior-brain.html Evolution Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:40:03 EDT news702223381 How does a stripy tree snail hide from hungry birds? The Hypselostyla camelopardalis from the Philippines and Reinia variegata from Japan have both evolved a form of dynamic camouflage to survive. Their light-colored patterns vanish in the rain, and the shell turns dark brown, similar to damp tree bark. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-camouflaging-snails.html Plants & Animals Tue, 30 Jun 2026 10:00:03 EDT news702030541 The four-foot-tall Emperor penguin of Antarctica may be the most iconic member of this unique family of birds, but 17 other species of penguins populate the Southern Hemisphere, many of them confined to isolated islands that make them hard to study. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-scientists-gentoo-penguins-species-totally.html Evolution Fri, 08 May 2026 13:00:01 EDT news697461182 From color-changing skin to jet-propelled motion, squid and cuttlefish have long fascinated scientists. To understand the origins of their unique characteristics, many attempts have been made to define their evolutionary history. However, the limited fossil record and incomplete genomic information have made it impossible to confidently order the evolution of these enigmatic creatures, until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-million-years-evolutionary-fuse-lit.html Evolution Mon, 30 Mar 2026 05:00:10 EDT news693828311 Many organisms leverage showy colors for attracting mates. Because color is a property of light (determined by its wavelength), it is easy for humans to see how these colors are used in animal courting rituals. Less obvious to humans is the polarization of light—a property of light related to the direction the wave is oriented in. Humans can't perceive polarization, which may be why we weren't aware of the interesting way cuttlefish use it to attract mates. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-cuttlefish-polarized-display-invisible-humans.html Plants & Animals Tue, 27 Jan 2026 13:00:02 EST news688741069 Stanford researchers have developed a flexible material that can quickly change its surface texture and colors, offering potential applications in camouflage, art, robotics, and even nanoscale bioengineering. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-flexible-material-mimics-octopus-skin.html Nanophysics Wed, 07 Jan 2026 14:20:04 EST news687017423 This week, researchers reported that weight and health markers may rebound when patients stop using some of the new hormonal gastric inhibitory polypeptide drugs. A prototype device can restore lost olfactory sense. And a new universal law predicts how brittle objects shatter. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-saturday-citations-cute-squid-scary.html Other Sat, 29 Nov 2025 09:00:01 EST news683552236 Researchers from the University of Vienna (Austria), National Institute of Technology—Wakayama College (NITW; Japan), and Shimane University (Japan) present the largest cephalopod genome sequenced to date. Their analyses, published in iScience, show that the vampire squid has retained parts of an ancient, squid-like chromosomal architecture, thus revealing that modern octopuses evolved from squid-like ancestors. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-vampires-deep-ancient-link-octopuses.html Evolution Tue, 25 Nov 2025 08:51:03 EST news683283061 Scientists at UC San Diego have moved one step closer to unlocking a superpower held by some of nature's greatest "masters of disguise." Octopuses, squids, cuttlefish and other animals in the cephalopod family are well known for their ability to camouflage, changing the color of their skin to blend in with the environment. This remarkable display of mimicry is made possible by complex biological processes involving xanthommatin, a natural pigment. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-scientists-powerhouse-pigment-octopus-camouflage.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 03 Nov 2025 10:31:09 EST news681388261 Taking a cue from ocean-dwelling species, University of Nebraska–Lincoln researchers are developing synthetic skins that will support the emergence of next-generation "soft" machines, robots and other devices. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-cephalopod-synthetic-skins-enable-soft.html Polymers Tue, 17 Jun 2025 11:24:54 EDT news669378286 Over the past 500 million years, nearly all evolutionary changes in octopuses and squids occurred in rapid bursts during the emergence of new species, according to research from the University of Auckland. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-punctuated-equilibrium-analysis-rapid-evolutionary.html Evolution Thu, 05 Jun 2025 09:10:14 EDT news668333401 Sophie Cohen-Bodénès and Peter Neri, neuroscientists at École Normale Supérieure, in France, report possible evidence of cuttlefish communicating by waving their 'arms' at one another. Their paper is posted on the bioRxiv preprint server. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-evidence-cuttlefish-communication.html Plants & Animals Mon, 05 May 2025 15:33:23 EDT news665677976 While sneaking up on prey, cuttlefish employ a dynamic skin display to avoid detection in the last moments of approach, researchers at the University of Bristol have found. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-cuttlefish-mesmerize-prey-skin-pattern.html Plants & Animals Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:00:02 EDT news662196781 Nature is full of masters of disguise. From the chameleon to arctic hare, natural camouflage is a common yet powerful way to survive in the wild. But one animal might surprise you with its camouflage capabilities: the squid. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-squid-nature-camouflagers-explanation.html Biochemistry Thu, 06 Mar 2025 13:27:04 EST news660490021 An international team of experts has resolved long-standing questions about the evolutionary history of mollusks, one of the most diverse zoological groups on the planet. The study, published in Science, reconstructs the family tree of mollusks and provides a genome-based perspective on their evolutionary history. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-mollusk-family-tree-evolutionary.html Evolution Fri, 28 Feb 2025 11:10:01 EST news659963228 A small team of marine biologists at the University of Bristol, in the U.K., working with a colleague from the Regional Research and Innovation Agency of West Papua, Indonesia, has found that wild broadclub cuttlefish adapt their body shape and color in certain ways, depending on circumstances, to hide from unsuspecting prey. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-cuttlefish-adjust-conditions-prey.html Plants & Animals Fri, 21 Feb 2025 09:58:04 EST news659354278 The ink of the cuttlefish could transform how sharks are deterred from hunting near swimmers, according to new research. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-cuttlefish-ink-potential-natural-repellent.html Plants & Animals Thu, 13 Feb 2025 12:50:19 EST news658673412 The journal Royal Society Open Science published a survey of 100 researchers of animal behavior, providing a unique view of current scientific thought on animal emotions and consciousness. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-survey-snapshot-scientific-thought-animal.html Plants & Animals Thu, 14 Nov 2024 13:32:05 EST news650813521 Pterosaurs ruled the skies during the age of the dinosaurs. Over millions of years, they evolved into an enormous variety of forms, including giant species with wingspans of up to 12 meters. But little is known about how and what these pterosaurs ate. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-fossilized-stomach-contents-insights-diet.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 23 Oct 2024 12:55:04 EDT news648906902 When Northeastern graduate Camille Martin and associate professor Leila Deravi co-founded Seaspire, a skincare ingredients company inspired by pigment in octopus and squid, their goal was to create a product that is good for your skin and the environment. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-octopus-squid-pigments-sunscreen-environment.html Biotechnology Mon, 22 Jul 2024 12:32:30 EDT news640870347 During an event, details like what you saw, smelled, and felt aren't stored as a single memory. Rather, they are encoded and stored in your brain separately. To retrieve that memory, those pieces must get put back together. When that doesn't happen in the right way or details are distorted, it can lead to the creation of false memories. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-reveals-cuttlefish-false-memories.html Plants & Animals Wed, 17 Jul 2024 11:00:01 EDT news640429148 Every year, the negative effects of human activities on the environment become increasingly clear. From climate change and microplastics to the endangerment and extinction of countless species, it is evident that we need to find new ways to achieve sustainability. Fortunately, many research groups in prominent fields like chemistry and materials science are tirelessly working to develop solutions to get us closer to circular and sustainable economies. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-melanin-cuttlefish-ink-sustainable-biomass.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 01 Jul 2024 14:36:03 EDT news639063361 Octopuses are fascinating animals—and serve as important model organisms in neuroscience, cognition research and developmental biology. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-insights-genetics-common-octopus-genome.html Evolution Wed, 18 Oct 2023 15:18:04 EDT news616861082