Cephalopods are extraordinary. As the father of very young children, I have watched all kinds of kids’ shows and kid-friendly nature shows that touch on any of the numerous and fascinating qualities of the cephalopod community. Scientific researchers have posited a theory in a paper, published in Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology, called “Cause of Cambrian Explosion - Terrestrial or Cosmic?” In it they offer up the theory that—and this is oversimplifying the entirety of the theory, for sure—while some of Earth’s evolved life seems very easily explained by terrestrial means, others like the cephalopod seem incongruous in their rapid complexity.
Evidence of the role of extraterrestrial viruses in affecting terrestrial evolution has recently been plausibly implied in the gene and transcriptome sequencing of Cephalopods. The genome of the Octopus shows a staggering level of complexity with 33,000 protein-coding genes more than is present in Homo sapiens (Albertin et al., 2015). Octopus belongs to the coleoid sub-class of molluscs (Cephalopods) that have an evolutionary history that stretches back over 500 million years, although Cephalopod phylogenetics is highly inconsistent and confusing (see Carlini et al., 2000; Strugnell et al., 2005, 2006, 2007; Bergmann et al., 2006). Cephalopods are also very diverse, with the behaviourally complex coleoids, (Squid, Cuttlefish and Octopus) presumably arising under a pure terrestrial evolutionary model from the more primitive nautiloids. However the genetic divergence of Octopus from its ancestral coleoid sub-class is very great, akin to the extreme features seen across many genera and species noted in Eldridge-Gould punctuated equilibria patterns (below). Its large brain and sophisticated nervous system, camera-like eyes, flexible bodies, instantaneous camouflage via the ability to switch colour and shape are just a few of the striking features that appear suddenly on the evolutionary scene.
The transformative genes leading from the consensus ancestral Nautilus (e.g. Nautilus pompilius) to the common Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) to Squid (Loligo vulgaris) to the common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris, Fig. 5) are not easily to be found in any pre-existing life form – it is plausible then to suggest they seem to be borrowed from a far distant “future” in terms of terrestrial evolution, or more realistically from the cosmos at large. Such an extraterrestrial origin as an explanation of emergence of course runs counter to the prevailing dominant paradigm.
The researchers say they are not trying to replace existing neo-Darwinistic and mainstream theory. They claim this theory can run alongside with it and help in some cases explain potentially more difficult aspects of that theory. Of course, they are claiming that the entire Cambrian explosion, a very important section of expansion for animal diversity in the fossil record (over 540 million years ago), was potentially driven by cosmic seeding. As Popular Science points out, this is not a new theory in many respects, and while written persuasively, isn’t scientifically persuasive at all.
The problem is that viruses and octopuses are both firmly terrestrial. A commentary, written by molecular geneticist Karin Moelling, printed alongside the article, notes that though the authors clearly believe their own theory, they’re “describing it as evidence-based, yet without any of the necessary evidence.” She concludes that “the main statement about viruses, microbes and even animals which came to us from space, cannot be taken seriously.”
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Caroline Albertin agrees. She’s a researcher at the Marine Biological Laboratory and says to find confirmation of octopuses’ earthly origins, one need “look no further than their DNA.” She explains that in fact, one of the papers cited in the new study “shows very clearly that octopuses share a lot of the same genes with other animals—molluscs like snails and clams, flies, and humans, indicating that they share common ancestors, and therefore are from the same planet as the rest of us.” The cephalopod fossil record may be limited, but Albertin notes that’s it’s hard to find fossils of soft-bodied creatures in general, which is why biologists look back at nautiluses and ammonites to trace evolutionary origins.
They’re probably not aliens, but it’s something you can believe of cephalopods until you do a little more research. Almost like the entire Republican platform.