Episode 32: Octopuses

Triple the Heart, Double the Strange

Part 3 of Our Mini-Series “Animals, Our Favorite Neighbors”

Episode 32: Octopuses
Wolf & Stag Productions LLC, Josh Love, Kara Nyhan

Swim with us through the coral reefs and dark sea floors as we explore the outrageous octopus! This episode specifically delves into the general evolutionary and biological facts of these 8-legged friends. Mythology, history, culture impacts and more will be available in a later episode! The intelligence and strangeness of these animals is sure to fascinate you, as it does Josh and Kara!

Discussion Includes:

  • Etymology of Octopus & Its Plurals

  • Evolution & the Mollusk Phylum

  • Cephalopods & Jet Propulsion

  • Surviving the Chicxulub Meteor

  • DNA versus RNA: Evolution & Adaption

  • Biology Overview

  • Arms versus Legs

©Wolf & Stag Productions LLC, 2026

Images:

All Images Are Used For Commentary, Analysis, and Education Purposes under the Fair Use Act. For attributions & citations, please click the image.


References:

  • Octopus - etymology, origin & meaning. etymonline. (n.d.). https://www.etymonline.com/word/octopus 

  • Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Plural of octopus: Octopi vs. octopuses vs. octopodes. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/the-many-plurals-of-octopus-octopi-octopuses-octopodes 

  • Codeadmin. (2022, February 1). What is the plural of octopus?. Ocean Conservancy. https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2022/02/01/plural-octopus/ 

  • Molluscs. Oxford University Museum of Natural History. (n.d.). https://oumnh.ox.ac.uk/learn-mollusca 

  • McCarthy, A. (2023, April 12). Taking a lesson in evolutionary adaptation from Octopus, squid. Harvard Gazette. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/04/taking-a-lesson-in-evolutionary-adaptation-from-octopus-squid/ 

  • Allard, C.A.H., Kang, G., Kim, J.J. et al. Structural basis of sensory receptor evolution in octopus. Nature 616, 373–377 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05822-1

  • Di Cosmo A, Maselli V, Polese G. Octopus vulgaris: An Alternative in Evolution. Results Probl Cell Differ. 2018;65:585-598. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-92486-1_26. PMID: 30083937.

  • Stetka, B. (2024, February 20). Curiouser and curiouser--octopus’s evolution is even stranger than thought. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/curiouser-and-curiouser-octopuss-evolution-is-even-stranger-than-thought/ 

  • Octopus, SQUID study yields new evidence on evolution. Royal Society Te Apārangi. (n.d.). https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/research/octopus-squid-study-yields-new-evidence-on-evolution 

  • Lifemap. (n.d.). https://lifemap.cnrs.fr/ 

  • Octopuses, squids, and relatives. (n.d.). https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/octopuses-squids-and-relatives 

  • Vampire Squid. Montereybayaquarium.org. (n.d.). https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/vampire-squid 

  • The rise of the cephalopods: An evolutionary origin story | by Cody Welch | everything science | medium. (n.d.-b). https://medium.com/everything-science/the-rise-of-the-cephalopods-a-journey-through-500-million-years-of-cephalopod-evolution-ac5c6b36f11e 

  • By Entelognathus - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=110569980

  • Servais, T., Harper, D., Munnecke, A., Owen, A., & Sheehan, P. (2009). Understanding the great ordovician biodiversification event (GOBE): Influences of paleogeography, paleoclimate, or Paleoecology. GSA Today, 19(4), 4. https://doi.org/10.1130/gsatg37a.1 

  • Fossil focus: Ammonoids. PALAEONTOLOGYonline. (n.d.). https://www.palaeontologyonline.com/?p=3893 

  • Turek, Vojtěch & Manda, Š. (2012). "An endocochleate experiment" in the Silurian straight-shelled cephalopod Sphooceras. Bulletin of Geosciences. 87. 767-813. 10.3140/bull.geosci.1335. 

  • Codeadmin. (2023, June 23). Is there a difference between arms and tentacles?. Ocean Conservancy. https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2023/06/23/is-there-a-difference-between-arms-and-tentacles/ 

  • DNA vs. RNA – 5 key differences and comparison. Genomics Research from Technology Networks. (n.d.). https://www.technologynetworks.com/genomics/articles/what-are-the-key-differences-between-dna-and-rna-296719 

  • Wiesmüller L, Ford JM, Schiestl RH. DNA Damage, Repair, and Diseases. J Biomed Biotechnol. 2002;2(2):45. doi: 10.1155/S1110724302001985. PMID: 12488582; PMCID: PMC153783.

  • Parry, W. (n.d.). Octopuses, other cephalopods can adjust to cold by editing their RNA. University of Chicago News. https://news.uchicago.edu/story/octopuses-other-cephalopods-can-adjust-cold-editing-their-rna 

  • Koenig, K. M. (2023). Chilling with cephalopods: Temperature-responsive RNA editing in Octopus and squid. Cell, 186(12), 2518–2520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2023.05.021 

  • Squid enrich their DNA “blueprint” through prolific RNA editing. Marine Biological Laboratory. (n.d.). https://www.mbl.edu/news/squid-enrich-their-dna-blueprint-through-prolific-rna-editing 

  • Shahar Alon, Sandra C Garrett, Erez Y Levanon, Sara Olson, Brenton R Graveley, Joshua J C Rosenthal, Eli Eisenberg (2015) The majority of transcripts in the squid nervous system are extensively recoded by A-to-I RNA editing eLife 4:e05198

  • What does an octopus eat? for a creature with a brain in each arm, whatever’s within reach. Florida International University. (n.d.). https://news.fiu.edu/2022/what-does-an-octopus-eat-for-a-creature-with-a-brain-in-each-arm,-whatevers-within-reach 

  • Knibb, F. (2023, November 7). Do octopuses have bones? hydrostatic skeletons explained. Bristol Aquarium. https://www.bristolaquarium.co.uk/education/do-octopuses-have-bones-hydrostatic-skeletons-explained/ 

  • Wood, M. (2025, January 15). Octopus arms have segmented nervous systems to power extraordinary movements. Biological Sciences Division | The University of Chicago. https://biologicalsciences.uchicago.edu/news/octopus-arms-segmented-nervous-system  

  • Olson CS, Schulz NG, Ragsdale CW. Neuronal segmentation in cephalopod arms. Res Sq [Preprint]. 2024 Jul 4:rs.3.rs-4548192. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4548192/v1. Update in: Nat Commun. 2025 Jan 15;16(1):443. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-55475-5. PMID: 39011093; PMCID: PMC11247938.

  • Kuuspalu A, Cody S, Hale ME. Multiple nerve cords connect the arms of octopuses, providing alternative paths for inter-arm signaling. Curr Biol. 2022 Dec 19;32(24):5415-5421.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.007. Epub 2022 Nov 28. PMID: 36446353.

  • By Llez (H. Zell). - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12758394

  • By Andrey Atuchin - Aleksandr A. Mironenko (2015): The soft-tissue attachment scars in Late Jurassic ammonites from Central Russia. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 60 (4): 981–1000. doi:10.4202/app.00041.2013 (Fig. 14), CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=157795509

  • Anatomy of cephalopod beaks, here octopus vulgaris beak (photographed)... | download scientific diagram. (n.d.-a). https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Anatomy-of-cephalopod-beaks-here-Octopus-vulgaris-beak-photographed-on-the-left-and_fig1_351288600 

  • Bradford, N. (2024, May 2). How octopus arms bypass the brain. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-octopus-arms-bypass-the-brain/

Kara Nyhan

I am a graphic designer, film producing & director, and small business entrepreneur. My work focus is on creative and arts organizations and individuals, helping to create graphics, marketing materials, branding, and websites that fit their needs. I have a B.A. in Graphic Design and a M.B.A with a focus in entrepreneurship. Currently, I do business as Lore Art & Design.

https://www.lore-art-design.com
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Episode 33: Etymology

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