World’s deep-sea octopuses evolved from a common ancestor
November 12, 2008
According to a report by BBC News, the findings of a research study, many of the world’s deep-sea octopuses evolved from a common ancestor, which still dwells in the icy waters of the Southern Ocean.
The project known as the Census of Marine Life (OML) began way back in 2000, and is set to be completed in 2010 after a decade long research activities. Scientists from 82 nations are involved in the project. The research into the evolution of the deep-sea octopus was part of the OML programme.
Don O’Dor, CoML’s co-senior scientist told BBC News:
“Many of these octopuses were collected from deep sea by a number of the COML’s different projects.”
According to researcher’s suggestion, octopuses evolved after being driven to other ocean basins 30 million years ago by nutrient-rich and salty currents.
He added:
“All of that material was brought together and made available to Dr. Jan Strugnell, a biologist at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge. She, in turn, used it to carry out DNA studies. She has been able to trace the timeline for their distribution back 30 million years to a common ancestor.”
According to Dr. O’Dor, the BAS researcher’s work also enabled her to identify effect of changes in the region’s ocean playing a pivotal role in the development of the new species.
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