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Recent research shows that octopuses solve problems, manipulate closed containers, and learn from guided experiences, expanding scientific understanding of the evolution of animal intelligence.
The intelligence of octopuses continues to spark the interest of the scientific community. In recent years, studies have revealed that these cephalopods can open jars, solve challenges, and learn from specific guidance, despite being animals that live solitary lives.
Moreover, these discoveries reinforce that the evolution of cognition can occur through different paths. Thus, octopuses have come to occupy a prominent position among the most studied animals when it comes to intelligent behavior.
According to research released by scientific institutions and studies published in specialized journals, such as the journal Current Biology, as well as information gathered by researchers from the University of Cambridge, these capabilities continue to be investigated to understand the evolution of intelligence in different species.
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HOW DOES OCTOPUS INTELLIGENCE WORK?
First of all, octopuses have an extremely developed nervous system for an invertebrate.
Additionally, a large portion of the neurons is distributed throughout the arms themselves. In this way, rapid responses to the environment can be executed with high precision.
Consequently, complex movements are performed efficiently. At the same time, interaction with objects and obstacles becomes quite sophisticated.
Even so, this anatomy continues to be studied by researchers due to its unusual characteristics among invertebrates.
WHY CAN OCTOPUSES OPEN JARS?
Among the most well-known examples of octopus intelligence is the ability to open closed containers.
During experiments conducted in recent years, researchers observed that various animals identified the correct way to access food stored in jars.
In this process, different cognitive skills were used in conjunction.
Among them, the following stand out:
- Detailed observation of objects and their mechanisms.
- Precise motor coordination to manipulate lids and fittings.
- Learning by trial and error until finding the solution.
- Memory to repeat the procedure more efficiently.
Thus, this behavior demonstrates a combination of perception, motor control, and learning.
DO OCTOPUSES LEARN WITH SPECIFIC GUIDANCE?
For a long time, it was believed that more complex forms of learning were mainly associated with social animals.
However, recent research, published throughout the 2020s, indicated that octopuses can also learn with specific guidance.
Furthermore, new behaviors can be adjusted based on acquired experiences.
This result is noteworthy because these animals do not live in complex groups, as is the case with many mammals and birds.
Even so, new knowledge can be assimilated. Later, this information can be applied in different situations.
Therefore, a high level of cognition continues to be attributed to these cephalopods.
WHAT DO THESE DISCOVERIES REVEAL ABOUT THE EVOLUTION OF INTELLIGENCE?
Finally, the research shows that the evolution of intelligence does not follow a single path.
Although octopuses are far from humans on the evolutionary tree, efficient mechanisms for interpreting information and making decisions have been developed over the course of evolution.
Moreover, these results suggest that advanced cognitive skills can emerge in different animal groups when there are favorable environmental pressures.
For this reason, studies on learning, memory, and problem-solving continue to be conducted by researchers in various scientific centers.
Thus, the intelligence of octopuses remains one of the main fields of investigation in biology, contributing to expand knowledge about the evolution of cognition in nature.
