Giant octopuses may have ruled the ancient oceans 100 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, according to new research.
Some of the earliest octopuses are believed to have been powerful predators equipped with strong arms for grabbing prey and beak-like jaws for munching on the shells and bones of other animals.
A new study, by scientists from Hokkaido University in Japan, of some remarkably well preserved jaws suggest they reached up to 19m (62ft), potentially making them the largest invertebrates ever known to scientists.
For decades, palaeontologists believed that the largest ocean predators were vertebrates with backbones such as fish and reptiles while invertebrates like octopuses and squid played supporting roles.
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Giant octopus ruled ancient seas
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- A real-life Kraken stalked the seas of the late Cretaceous NPR —
Meet the 19-metre octopus that prowled the ancient seas | BBC News
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