Topic: Biology

Researchers found that octopuses can learn to use mirrors to find food hidden from view. This shows how smart they are and helps us understand how intelligence evolves.

In the past, we've seen some amazing things about octopuses. One famous example was Inky, an octopus that escaped from a aquarium in New Zealand by squeezing through a drainpipe. Now, scientists have discovered another impressive ability of octopuses. They can learn to use mirrors to find food they can't see directly.

The researchers at Dartmouth worked with three California two-spot octopuses. Their goal was to see if the animals could learn to use a mirror to find a hidden food source. The octopuses were first given time to get used to a mirror in their habitat. Then, the scientists trained them to understand that what they saw in the mirror was real.

During this phase, a live crab was placed inside a glass jar so the octopus could only see it through the mirror. To reach the crab, the animal had to turn 90 degrees and move around a corner. The researchers found that the octopuses learned how to use the mirror to find the food.

To test this, the scientists used a virtual crab image instead of real prey. This was because octopuses have special sensors that allow them to smell and taste through touch. If they had used real prey, these sensors might have affected the results. The animals were placed in front of a mirror and the virtual crab image appeared on either side. To get a reward, the octopus had to recognize where the image was and move towards it.

The researchers found that the octopuses chose the correct side about 73% of the time. Some even climbed over the side of the box to reach the location of the projected image. The animals got faster at finding the correct location as they did more trials.

Why It Matters

This shows us how smart and adaptable octopuses are, which can help us understand how intelligence evolves in different species. It also reminds us that even seemingly simple creatures can have complex abilities.

Key Facts

• Octopuses can learn to use mirrors to find food they can't see directly
• The researchers used three California two-spot octopuses for the study
• The animals chose the correct side about 73% of the time
• Some octopuses even climbed over the side of the box to reach the location of the projected image

Key Terms

Chemoreceptors

Special sensors that allow octopuses to smell and taste through touch

Implications

This shows us how smart and adaptable octopuses are, which can help us understand how intelligence evolves in different species. It also reminds us that even seemingly simple creatures can have complex abilities.