From Newsgroup: talk.origins

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aea6285

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/octopus-prowled-seas-apex-predator-age-dinosaurs-study/

The news article claims that the ancient octopus were large enough to be
apex predators competing with mosasaurs and sharks. It is frightening
to realize that these giants would have had very large octopus brains.
The octopus can do so much with such a small brain that you have to
wonder what these giants were contemplating about their existence.

My guess is that there would have been some sort of scaling issue for
cold blooded invertebrates, and there would be energy constraints on how functional larger brains could be. Science fiction has dealt with space faring aquatic tentacled mollusc like space aliens. A 60 foot octopus
may have been making stone tools, but it would have had issues with domesticating fire, and starting an industrial revolution.

Ron Okimoto

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From Newsgroup: talk.origins

On 4/24/26 8:20 AM, RonO wrote:

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aea6285

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/octopus-prowled-seas-apex-predator-age-dinosaurs-study/

The news article claims that the ancient octopus were large enough to be apex predators competing with mosasaurs and sharks.-a It is frightening
to realize that these giants would have had very large octopus brains.
The octopus can do so much with such a small brain that you have to
wonder what these giants were contemplating about their existence.

My guess is that there would have been some sort of scaling issue for
cold blooded invertebrates, and there would be energy constraints on how functional larger brains could be.-a Science fiction has dealt with space faring aquatic tentacled mollusc like space aliens.-a A 60 foot octopus
may have been making stone tools, but it would have had issues with domesticating fire, and starting an industrial revolution.

Ron Okimoto

You realize that the size estimate is based entirely on the beak, the
only preserved part. Right?

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From Newsgroup: talk.origins

On 4/24/2026 10:58 AM, John Harshman wrote:

On 4/24/26 8:20 AM, RonO wrote:

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aea6285

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/octopus-prowled-seas-apex-predator-age-
dinosaurs-study/

The news article claims that the ancient octopus were large enough to
be apex predators competing with mosasaurs and sharks.-a It is
frightening to realize that these giants would have had very large
octopus brains. The octopus can do so much with such a small brain
that you have to wonder what these giants were contemplating about
their existence.

My guess is that there would have been some sort of scaling issue for
cold blooded invertebrates, and there would be energy constraints on
how functional larger brains could be.-a Science fiction has dealt with
space faring aquatic tentacled mollusc like space aliens.-a A 60 foot
octopus may have been making stone tools, but it would have had issues
with domesticating fire, and starting an industrial revolution.

Ron Okimoto

You realize that the size estimate is based entirely on the beak, the
only preserved part. Right?

Yes. That is stated clearly in the articles.

QUOTE:
The ontogenetic growth of jaws and soft body is allometric (32rCo34),
thereby allowing reliable body size calculations (31). This study
quantifies the maximum mantle length of N. jeletzkyi and N. haggarti
based on the largest jaws observed for each species, using the
comprehensive size data of modern long-bodied forms (tables S3 and S4)
(31).
END QUOTE:

Ron Okimoto

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