Evolution in action? Octopus using a tool.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

This was was shown on the news here last night:

It seems octopus off the coast of Bali have been collecting coconut shells and using them as camouflage. They move with them by sitting in the shell and spreading their legs over the edges,lifting it under their body,then walk withe the thing attached.The film clip was amazing.

It seems to me such behaviour will increase survival chances. Is that evolution in action?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bHZjpjPD1A

[theVOID]

This was was shown on the news here last night:

It seems octopus off the coast of Bali have been collecting coconut shells and using them as camouflage. They move with them by sitting in the shell and spreading their legs over the edges,lifting it under their body,then walk withe the thing attached.The film clip was amazing.

It seems to me such behaviour will increase survival chances. Is that evolution in action?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bHZjpjPD1A

It's definitely a development in intelligence, which is being noted to be increasing in multiple species.

[Rhizomorph13]

That is cool! Thanks for sharing. Obviously this is proof that the world is designed! How thoughtful for god to provide such nifty hiding places for octopi!

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

It's definitely a development in intelligence, which is being noted to be increasing in multiple species.

Do you think that is the case? I''m not saying you're wrong. However,isn't a simpler explanation that science has been doing what it's supposed to do? IE continue to question and observe. A over recent years I've noticed a broadening of the very notion of intelligence.Some birds,such as crows and parrots for example are now recognised as being highly intelligent..EG crows have been observed MAKING A TOOL TO MAKE ANOTHER TOOL. I've actually seen a Magpie (Piping Shrike) with a broken beak use a twig to dig grubs out of the ground.

OR it may be combination: Surely an increase in intelligence is predictable within evolution for many species? But I guess I'd be surprised if some of the older species such as sharks and reptiles begun to get smarter. Its' also pretty startling to see an invertebrate display such a change.- The event demonstrates a basic difference between science and religion.Science is excited and challenged by such an event.Religion is more likely to be threatened by anything which challenges the status quo.

[littlegrimlin1]

Dis is really cool... obviously designed by a higher power suddenly...

When might the human genome be completely mapped? like the flys genome.

[theVOID]

It's definitely a development in intelligence, which is being noted to be increasing in multiple species.

Do you think that is the case? I''m no saying you're wrong. However,isn't a simpler explanation that science has been doing what it's supposed to do? IE continue to question and observe. A over recent years I've noticed a broadening of the very notion of intelligence.Some birds,such as crows and parrots for example are now recognised as being highly intelligent..EG crows have been observed MAKING A TOOL TO MAKE ANOTHER TOOL. I've actually seen a Magpie (Piping Shrike) with a broken beak use a twig to dig grubs out of the ground.

OR it may be combination: Surely an increase in intelligence is predictable within evolution,for many species? I guess I'd be surprised if some of the older species such as sharks and reptiles begun to get smarter. Its' also pretty startling to see an invertebrate display such a change.- The event demonstrates a basic difference between science and religion.Science is excited and challenged by such an event.Religion is more likely to be threatened by anything which challenges the status quo.

Every life form has intelligence on some level, and yes some of it is definitely because we are getting better at observing, but for an animal like that to be using external objects in such a way is something that has not been observed before and while it may be the case that we had simply not noticed there does seem to be a trend towards higher intelligence albeit a very very subtle curve.

For example there has just been a discovery recently of Chimps using spears to kill prey hiding in tree trunks, they take a stick, break off the branches and sharpen it with their teeth - this same group of chimps has been under observation for over 40 years and yet all of a sudden they are fairly commonly seen using spears. This suggests to me that something changed in this population over the last few generations, most likely they have developed a better ability to teach and instruct, so that one who discovers something by whatever means has the ability to convey the idea to another who in turn can pass that information on through the generations. It has often been thought that the main reason the relative primates were left behind by our species is that they lacked out ability to teach - which is something that leads to discoveries being passed down through generations, a continuation of culture much like a snowball effect that means subsequent generations don't have to continually rediscover what their ancestors had learned and you end up with a stockpile of techniques that in turn leads to them being bought up and ingrained in the idea that the natural world has practical, beneficial applications that can assist in life.

When you develop the understanding that nature has practical application you have the ability to search actively for these applications consciously rather than instinctively reaching for a stick and finding a use or accidentally discovering thins. How long is it going to take for these chimps that use spears to realize that rocks may also be useful for hunting? I sorta see a very slow trend towards intelligence for certain animals - i really hope it happens.

[littlegrimlin1]

That is very awesome void! I've never heard of that until now... really cool!

[theVOID]

Check out this doco, it's full of interesting human like behaviors:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=...ius&view=3#

[leo-rcc]

That is cool! Thanks for sharing. Obviously this is proof that the world is designed! How thoughtful for god to provide such nifty hiding places for octopi!

Too bad that the trees this nifty hiding place hangs on are not placed in the water by his lordship.

PZ Meyers got hundreds of email pointing to this video. His first reaction was brilliant:

Yikes! I step away from the computer for a few hours, and kaboom, everyone on the planet emails me to tell me I must see this video of an octopus using a coconut shell for a home. Well, yes, I must, and so must you.

Although where did everyone get this idea that I am obsessed with coconuts?

[lilphil1989]

When might the human genome be completely mapped? like the flys genome.

It already is!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_genome_project