Octopus intelligence may be related to never-before-seen mutation

Add as preferred source Researchers made the discovery while studying the California two-spot octopus. Anik Grearson / Bellono Lab Octopuses are incredibly clever creatures . They can open jars, solve mazes and even use tools . One species, the common blanket octopus, wields venomous tentacles ripped from the Portuguese man o’ war as weapons.

Now, researchers have discovered a mysterious mutation in some octopuses that might explain their intelligence. A study published in the August 17 issue of the journal Current Biology reveals that the eight-limbed creatures can produce proteins with extreme accuracy thanks to a variation never seen in any other animal. Although there is no direct evidence that the adaptation is linked to expanded octopus brainpower, only a lineage of creatures with enlarged nervous systems and that can carry out complex behaviors appears to have the mutation.