Octopus

New research at the University of Leicester has transformed scientists' understanding of how spectacular fossils with delicate soft tissues form.

Research published in Global and Planetary Change examines the trends and projected frequency, intensity and duration of marine heatwaves (MHWs). A MHW is a 'discrete, prolonged anomalously warm water event' lasting five or more days, with temperatures warmer than the 90th percentile relative to climatological values. The research focuses on Fiji, Samoa and Palau in the tropical western and central Pacific Ocean region (TWCPO).

An archaeological study has determined that cowrie-shell artifacts found throughout the Mariana Islands were lures used for hunting octopuses and that the devices, similar versions of which have been found on islands across the Pacific, are the oldest known artifacts of their kind in the world.

A new study from Georgia Institute of Technology suggests that an elephant's muscles aren't the only way it stretches its trunk—its folded skin also plays an important role. The combination of muscle and skin gives the animal the versatility to grab fragile vegetation and rip apart tree trunks.

In a university swimming pool, scientists and their underwater cameras watch carefully as a coiled shell is released from a pair of metal tongs. The shell begins to move under its own power, giving the researchers a glimpse into what the oceans might have looked like millions of years ago when they were full of these ubiquitous animals.