Octopuses Seen Walking-Evolution in Action?

I saw this on the March 24, 6:30pm ABC world News. Octopusses actually using two of their legs to walk.

abcnews.go.com...

Could this be evolution in action. Are they beginning to walk upright, or is this something else. I for one belive that evolution is designed by GOD, he is the intelligent designer.

Everything is evolution in action. Evolution isn't an instant process, it is all around us and never stops. I can't remember where I read it, but there's a good quote about evolution.

Some people think evolution is a matter of "I want fins." Well, it isn't. It's a matter of "HAHA! Look at the freak with Fins! What a Fr - OH GOD I'M DROWNING! SAVE ME FIN BOY!"

This is pretty interesting, but I think it's a matter of "Hey, cool, I can run AND hide!" as opposed to "Let's go walk on land!" They just figured something cool out.

Oh, and, octopi.

Originally posted by Amorymeltzer
Oh, and, octopi.

Due to the bastardization of the English language, octopuses is an accepted form for the plural.

Anyway, this is pretty neat. I actually wouldn't be surprised if they have been doing this for quite some time, and we just never noticed. Afterall, there is A LOT about the ocean and its life that we don't know,

Eveolution isn't a single action. Its a change in genetic code causing behavior or traits that are benefitial or rather, just surivive a bottle neck.

Octopi walking is completely unrelated to human walking...

Also, human are not the goal of evolution, nor the top of the chain. Insects are WAY better at existing and have evolved to live almost any where. WE are the smartest form of known life, not the best.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

The above thread has a few links to a movie showing an octopus eating a shark, pretty incredible stuff.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the octopus is by far the most inteligent invertebrate right? And they're long lived, very strong, exceedingly well designed, and they have the potential to walk on land if they can straighten out that 'breathing air' thing...

Actually they're probably much safer in the oceans. They should build a city under the sea and then send us pictures of their utopian society and say "You can't join pink-skin! You're not allowed 2 legs!" It would be totally funny.

What is the big deal about octopus's using their legs to walk?

They have always used their legs to walk.

I really hope scientists arent so dumb to think this is new or "evolutionary".

Help us, our education has failed.

They were walking on two legs, and used the other's to hide. The idea is that normally they swim, or crawl using all legs. This way was much faster and seemingly advantageous.

Wow, cool. But I don't see it being anything new myself, just newly observed.

Originally posted by Ritual
Help us, our education has failed.

Your education has failed, their education is fine.

Octopi don't walk on two legs, they ambulate using water currents generated by sweeping motions when in open water. They also grip and pull themselves along rocky surfaces using all their tentacles when moving across the sea floor. They've never been observed using only two legs to move about, so it's new, and worthy of reportage.

Your record of baseless "I'm smarter than everybody else in the world" style posts is growing longer by the day...

Originally posted by WyrdeOneCorrect me if I'm wrong, but the octopus is by far the most inteligent invertebrate right?

As far as we know, yes.

And they're long lived,

2-4 years in most cases:
www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca...

very strong, exceedingly well designed, and they have the potential to walk on land if they can straighten out that 'breathing air' thing...

Yes, presumably, and no. Lacking any sort of structural support for their internal organs, they would be very limited in their mobility and in their ability to sustain breathing without suffocating.

Octpuses walking?? Cheap skates!! Take the bus, learn to drive, catch a taxi for pity's sake Octopi!!

Sorry, I couldn't resist - mea culpa

wid.ap.org...

thats pretty neat looking.....clever little buggers....

Originally posted by Urn
wid.ap.org...

thats pretty neat looking.....clever little buggers....

LOL!! CGI is wonderful, isn't it?!! Seriously, thanx for the video - I am very impressed.

Who will be the first to market Octopus footwear though?

byrd
Those lifespans are for captive or wild octopi? I was under the impression that they could live much, much longer, to the tune of 40-50 years. I understand they have natural predators during youth and adulthood, and the smaller ones have problems with predation all their lives, but I would imagine the Giants could live much longer than 3 or 4 years. What do you suppose the natural lifespan would be with adequate diet and no predation?

Islands tend to exacerbate gigantism and dwarfism, so is there an aquatic equivalent of an island? I suppose a coral reef is somewhat similar to a terrestrial island... Octopi are reef dwellers by and large, and they do exhibit dwarfism and gigantism...

I wonder what they're basing that statistic off of? Do you suppose they test captured octopi and find the median? Or do they raise them and feed them until they die? I imagine neither would be an accurate way to determine the true life span of the creatures.

Generally speaking the smaller the creature, the shorter its life span, but there are numerous exceptions to the rule.

As far as supporting themselves on land, the smaller ones wouldn't have nearly so much of a problem as the Giants, those guys are huge! I'm reminded of the mudskipper and the lungfish, the snakefish and yes..the humble worm. Worms made it up out of the oceans and onto land, is there no possibility that a clan of octopi could do the same?

I understand the limitations of their physiology, I'm just trying to extrapolate evolution.

that is pretty crazy. theres so much stuff underwater that we dont know about. wheres jacques cousteau when you need him.

More amazing Octopus stuff:

www.biology.leeds.ac.uk...





[edit on 27-3-2005 by Silenus]

Originally posted by WyrdeOne
Those lifespans are for captive or wild octopi? I was under the impression that they could live much, much longer, to the tune of 40-50 years.

Wild would be my best bet, because...

barometer.orst.edu...

Octopuses have a short lifespan. The giant Pacific octopus has a lifespan of five years or less.

In addition, reproduction is a fatal event. Females starve to death after laying 80 to 100,000 eggs and brooding them without eating for six months, while males simply waste away after copulation for reasons not yet understood.

And if you think maybe you were thinking of squid, they have a lifespan that's equally short.

oceanlink.island.net...

(On squid)
After spawning, the animals die. Most spawning males and females appear to be three years old.

Thanks for clearing that up cmdr.

Don't know what I was thinking about now.

Anyway, thanks.

I saw that bit on the news as well. It looked to me like the octopus was trying to camo itself to resemble a coral or something not octopi-like. It was absolutely walking tho. It actually looked a bit like the old Looney Toons Cartoons where someone disguised themself as a tree and walks closer to their target.

Maybe they should work on that life-span thing first, it would seem to do them more good!

Really, I was with Wyrde on this one, I could've sworn they had long lives.