Believe it or not, some scientists suggest that the octopus is not originally from Earth! What can we learn from this remarkable creature?
By: Wallace G. Smith
Article Reprint
In August 2015, the prestigious science journal Nature published an account of the first sequencing of an octopus genome—specifically that of the “two-spot octopus” species. Sequencing an animal’s genome means examining its DNA in a complete manner to learn the details of its genetic “code,” and what they found of the octopus’ code surprised them with its complexity and arrangement. As one of the study’s scientists joked, “It’s the first sequenced genome from something like an alien.”