Summary:
- Researchers have discovered the oldest known fossil of an octopus, dating back around 96 million years. This fossil provides important insights into the evolution of octopuses.
- The fossil shows that the basic body plan of the octopus, including its eight arms and other key features, was already established by the Cretaceous period, over 90 million years ago.
- This discovery helps fill in gaps in the evolutionary history of octopuses and demonstrates that these fascinating creatures have existed for a very long time, even before the age of the dinosaurs.