According to researchers, octopus possesses a set of genes similar to humans, which gives them the ability to learn. They also have a big brain like humans. In this case, why did the octopus not become intelligent creatures on earth before humans?
Today, let’s explore the mystery together.
Human intelligence is easy to judge, but animals are different. We can only evaluate them through their behavior.
Scientists have spent a lot of time studying octopus and found that this invertebrate is very different from other similar species. Although their body structure is strange, it also gives them many powerful skills.
For example, the soft body of octopus can allow them to pass through some small gaps and holes. In addition, they can control a full 8 legs to walk, swim, grab, explore, dig, prey, open shells, and other activities. Therefore, have you thought of your own hands? Most of the things in our lives are basically done by hands.
In addition to the super high coordination ability of legs, they also have the ability to disguise themselves through ink and color change. They are extremely powerful and stronger than many animals.
Since the genes of octopus are so similar to those of humans, why haven’t they first evolved into smarter creatures?
Speaking of this, we have to start from 500 million years ago.
All phylas in the animal kingdom were formed during the Cambrian period at that time. Whether it is octopus or humans, we have evolved to this day based on the nervous system of that time.
Although the nervous systems of chords and cephalopods animals at this time were at a similar starting line, their competitiveness was still too weak for chords and cephalopods in the ocean, because arthropods and cephalopods are already protected by "armor".
So from here, chordates and cephalopods embarked on two different paths, chordates won by their reproductive numbers and survived one period after another. Cephalopod animals evolved into shells and had the power to fight with other animals.
Unfortunately, because the cephalopod animals are wearing hard shells and have little pressure to compete for survival, they have started a retirement life, and the evolution speed is quite slow.
In contrast, chordates have always been active in the food chains of various eras and have rapidly evolved into bones, brain, spinal cord, etc., and their body hardware is getting better and better. Later, they formed early fish, occupying a certain niche , and then landed on land, gradually evolved into the savoy and chrysalis until mammals appeared.
Because Cephalopods have always focused on the defense of hard shells, they are not prone to death. The number is getting bigger and bigger, and new species are also beginning to appear, but the shells are getting harder and harder, and they still do not realize the importance of "wisdom".
After the fifth mass extinction, these cephalopods' shelled animals were almost extinct. At this time, octopus began to occupy the ecological niche.
But at this time, chordates have undergone a lot of evolution, various systems are becoming more and more perfect, and the brain neocortex is already developed enough.
Humans slowly formed their current brain based on the primate brain.
So, our brains have actively gone through a lot of hardships to reach the current level. If the octopus wants to reach our current level, at least it must have a process of logging into the land.
But they can't keep up with human footsteps.
