The brain activity of octopuses that are alert and free to move has been recorded for the first time: this is an important step in understanding how their brains control behavior and in discovering the fundamental basis of intelligence and cognition. The study is published in the journal Current Biology by an international team led by the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST). Among the authors also the zoologist Anna di Cosmo of the University of Naples Federico II.
“If we want to understand how the brain works, octopuses are the perfect animals to study compared to mammals: they have a large brain, a unique body and advanced cognitive abilities that have developed in a completely different way from those of vertebrates”, explains the first study author Tamar Gutnick of Oist. Measuring the brain waves of octopuses proved to be quite a challenge because they don’t have a skull on which to anchor recording equipment. “Octopuses have eight powerful, ultra-flexible arms that can reach every part of the their body,” Gutnick points out. “If we hooked them up to wires, they would immediately rip them off, so we needed a way to keep the equipment out of reach by getting it under their skin.” The researchers opted for that. for small, lightweight recorders originally designed to track the brain activity of birds in flight.The devices have been retrofitted to make erli waterproof, while remaining small enough to easily enter the octopuses. The batteries allowed for up to 12 hours of continuous recording as the octopuses were filmed by cameras.
“This is a landmark study, but it’s only the first step,” says Michael Kuba, who led the project at Oist’s Physics and Biology Unit and which is now continuing at the University of Naples Federico II. “Octopuses are so smart, but we currently know so little about how their brains work. This technique means that we now have the ability to peer into their brains as they perform specific tasks. It’s really exciting.”
Source: Ansa
I am a journalist with over 6 years of experience working in the news industry. I currently work as an author for Global Happenings, and my coverage focuses on Technology news. I have written for various publications, including Reuters, The New York Times and The Guardian.
