MelonYellow@lemmy.ca to science@lemmy.worldEnglish · 5 days agoWhich animal will replace humans as Earth's dominant species? This scientist has an ideawww.earth.comexternal-linkmessage-square74fedilinkarrow-up1113arrow-down128file-text
arrow-up185arrow-down1external-linkWhich animal will replace humans as Earth's dominant species? This scientist has an ideawww.earth.comMelonYellow@lemmy.ca to science@lemmy.worldEnglish · 5 days agomessage-square74fedilinkfile-text
minus-squareGrandwolf319@sh.itjust.workslinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up6arrow-down2·5 days agoSerious question: How difficult is it for octopus to change via evolution so it becomes more like a primate? They can already breathe on land for up to an hour. I think they just need a few key mutations to live longer and nurture their young.
minus-squareAnAmericanPotato@programming.devlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up3·5 days agoFun fact: octopuses* respond to MDMA, and become social and cuddly. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/scientists-gave-octopuses-some-molly-heres-what-happened I seem to recall a similar story where drug exposure reversed the octopus’s usual behavior of simply waiting for death after mating, but I couldn’t find a reference from a quick search so perhaps I am misremembering this story, about the biological mechanisms behind that behavior: https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-close-in-on-why-octopuses-tragically-destroy-themselves-after-mating
Serious question:
How difficult is it for octopus to change via evolution so it becomes more like a primate?
They can already breathe on land for up to an hour.
I think they just need a few key mutations to live longer and nurture their young.
Fun fact: octopuses* respond to MDMA, and become social and cuddly. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/scientists-gave-octopuses-some-molly-heres-what-happened
I seem to recall a similar story where drug exposure reversed the octopus’s usual behavior of simply waiting for death after mating, but I couldn’t find a reference from a quick search so perhaps I am misremembering this story, about the biological mechanisms behind that behavior: https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-close-in-on-why-octopuses-tragically-destroy-themselves-after-mating