Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

95M-Year-Old Octopus Fossils Discovered

Posted by kdawson on from the eight-by-eight dept.

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."'"

4 of 290 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Lebanon is a desert in case you didn't know by conureman · · Score: 1, Troll

    God put these "fossils" in the desert to test the faith of his followers. Ask not. Amen.

    --
    The cost of that cleanup, of course, will be borne by taxpayers, not industry.
  2. Re:selection pressures by E++99 · · Score: 0, Troll

    Any proof better then that of those that say there is?

    Yes. Evolution can be observed to follow patterns not requiring intelligent design (e.g., Darwin's Finches and the observed instances of new species creation). All God speculations have exactly the same amount of observable evidence: zero.

    First of all the question was of intelligent motivation, not intelligent design. Second of all, how do you know that the observed pattern of evolution doesn't require intelligent design? Third of all, even if the evidence conforms to a theory that does not include a certain element (intelligent motivation), how does that constitute the claimed "knowledge" that that element is absent?

  3. Re:selection pressures by E++99 · · Score: 0, Troll

    We can make it do things it's really not supposed to.

    For someone claiming a knowledge of the nonexistence of intelligent motivation behind evolution, you talk as if you are presupposing a motivation.

  4. almost indistinguishable from living species by emaname · · Score: 0, Troll

    'What is truly astonishing to the scientists is how similar these ancient creatures are to their modern-day counterparts."

    Ah... maybe because radiocarbon dating sucks and they're not really 95 million years old.

    --
    An effective "democracy" creates the illusion the people have a say in their government.