octopuses
Coverage of octopuses in the Nexus archive.
- Octopuses use mirrors to find food they cannot see
Researchers at Dartmouth found that octopuses can learn to use mirrors to locate food hidden behind them, a skill previously observed only in vertebrates. Trained octopuses identified the food's location 73% of the time, demonstrating they could use mirrors as tools.
- Do octopus brains work like humans’ — or is there another way to be smart?
Cephalopods like octopuses and squid possess complex brains similar to vertebrates, prompting neuroscientists to study them for insights into the evolution of intelligence. Research published in Nature highlights their potential to reveal alternative pathways of cognitive development.
- Daily briefing: Octopuses’ strange brains might teach us what intelligence really is
A study published in Nature explores how octopuses' unique brains, which evolved differently from vertebrates, could redefine our understanding of intelligence. The article also highlights new research mapping olfactory receptors in mice, revolutionizing knowledge about smell.