3D genome 'entanglement' may explain how cephalopods evolved complex brains

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Add to Preferred Sources Californian two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides). Embryo at the final stage before hatching. The species is named after the two prominent blue eyespots that can help deter predators. Credit: Natalie Grace Schulz 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.