95M-Year-Old Octopus Fossils Discovered

mmmscience writes "A new study published in Paleontology is a truly terrific find. Not only did a group of European scientists find a fossilized octopus, they found five complete fossils that show all eight legs in great detail, including a ghost of the characteristic suckers. The discovery of the 95-million-year-old specimens was made in Lebanon. 'What is truly astonishing to the scientists is how similar these ancient creatures are to their modern-day counterparts. Dirk Fuchs, lead author on the study stated, "These things are 95 million years old, yet one of the fossils is almost indistinguishable from living species."'"

Comments

Re:selection pressures

[E 99]

I know that there's no intelligent motive behind evolution

What a remarkably obtuse thing to say. How can anyone know -- short of subjective observations, which are inherently non-scientific, i.e. revelation from such an "evolution-motivating" intelligence -- whether or not there is an intelligent motive behind any such process?

-5, Burden of Proof

Please explain why the burden of proof doesn't fall on the person claiming knowledge.

Re:selection pressures

[E 99]

-5, Burden of Proof

Please explain why the burden of proof doesn't fall on the person claiming knowledge.

Do you claim to know that it does?

Do you mean, do I claim to know that evolution does have an intelligent motivation, or do I claim to know that the burden of proof does fall on the person claiming knowledge?