Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Australians catch on video an octopus using tools

A video of an octopus that uses coconut shell as a vehicle, hiding cover, protective gear, and lots more.


Abstract of the publication in Cell:

The use of tools has become a benchmark for cognitive sophistication. Originally regarded as a defining feature of our species, tool-use behaviours have subsequently been revealed in other primates and a growing spectrum of mammals and birds [1]. Among invertebrates, however, the acquisition of items that are deployed later has not previously been reported. We repeatedly observed soft-sediment dwelling octopuses carrying around coconut shell halves, assembling them as a shelter only when needed. Whilst being carried, the shells offer no protection and place a requirement on the carrier to use a novel and cumbersome form of locomotion — ‘stilt-walking’.

tags: biology, tools, youtube, science,

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