The Mysterious Evolution of the Vampire Squid
Cephalopod evolution has long been a topic of fascination, but one chapter in particular has remained a mystery: how did squid-like ancestors give rise to today’s octopuses? After years of speculation, the answer has finaly been revealed through the study of a deep-sea creature that has been floating in the ocean for millions of years – the elusive vampire squid.
A Genetic Breakthrough
In November 2021, researchers published their findings in iScience after sequencing the genome of Vampyroteuthis infernalis. What they discovered was surprising – despite belonging to the octopus order, this mysterious creature still shares genetic similarities with squids and cuttlefish.This finding provides insight into what the common ancestor of modern squids and octopuses may have looked like 300 million years ago when these two species diverged.
Uncovering Ancient Secrets
With its glowing ghostly eyes, eight arms like its octopus cousins and a dark ruby coloring to match, it’s no wonder that this creature is often referred to as a “living fossil.” The vampire squid belongs to an ancient group that includes octopuses but underwent a ”very ancient split” from other cephalopods. This makes it an invaluable source for studying cephalopod evolution.
The Vampire Squid’s Unique Genome
Using a genetic analysis platform called PacBio, researchers compared the vampire squid’s genome to that of other cephalopods like the Argonaut, common octopus, and curled octopus. They found that the vampire squid has an 11 billion-base-pair-long genome – almost four times the size of the human genome – making it the largest cephalopod genome sequenced to date.
What makes this discovery even more intriguing is that while modern octopuses have DNA that consistently gets reshuffled, resulting in some chromosomal mixing, the vampire squid’s genome has remained relatively unchanged over time.Essentially, it’s an octopod that genetically looks like an ancient squid.
A Long History of Misunderstanding
The vampire squid has had a long history of being misunderstood. When it was initially discovered in 1903, scientists thought it was a cirrate octopus due to its unique webbing between its arms. Though, in the 1950s it was reclassified as its own group - Vampyromorphida - named for its resemblance to a vampire wearing a cloak.
A Valuable Discovery
This breakthrough is welcome news for cephalopod scientists who have long been intrigued by this mysterious creature but have struggled to study them due to their solitary nature and difficulty surviving in captivity. Bruce Robison, senior scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, notes that the findings “reinforce the notion held by some of us that vamps would be the key to the puzzle.” With their unique genetic makeup and ancient origins, vampire squids may hold even more secrets waiting to be uncovered.
Amazing scientific breakthroughs like this continue to push the boundaries of our knowledge!