The legendary giant squid's genome revealed

[Still Waters]

How did the monstrous giant squid—reaching school-bus size, with eyes as big as dinner plates and tentacles that can snatch prey 10 yards away—get so scarily big?

Today, important clues about the anatomy and evolution of the mysterious giant squid (Architeuthis dux) are revealed through publication of its full genome sequence by a University of Copenhagen-led team that includes scientist Caroline Albertin of the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), Woods Hole.

Giant squid are rarely sighted and have never been caught and kept alive, meaning their biology (even how they reproduce) is still largely a mystery. The genome sequence can provide important insight.

https://phys.org/news/2020-01-mysterious-legendary-giant-squid-genome.html

[Electric Scooter]

51 minutes ago, UM-Bot said:

For the first time ever, scientists have successfully sequenced the genome of the elusive giant squid.

https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/333903/giant-squid-may-be-intelligent-new-study-finds

Those things are giant brains equipped with eyes and tentacles.

[+joc]

How does the genome of a giant squid compare to the genome of a regular squid...or an octopus?  

[DreadLordAvatar]

Because these are aliens, 

[Tom1200]

If they really are intelligent I think they should be better protected.  Currently there are approximately 200 000 sperm whales, each devouring upwards on a tonne of squid every day.  Since the ban on commercial whaling these monstrous mammals are of no further use to us, so let's get rid of them.  Lift the ban, tell the Japanese and hey presto! - within a year there'll be none left. ¹ 

Then the oceans will team with intelligent life and maybe we humans can ease off inventing new stuff for a bit - let someone else do the hard work for a while.  I imagine, based on my vague recall of the Men in Black films, that cephalopod brains will one day discover teleportation and time travel.  And other stuff.  Probably.  In return we'll provide them with huge tvs and electric cars.

¹ If that's a bit drastic we could offer them a way out.  Give them a year or two to go vegetarian, then only kill the rest.

[Tatetopa]

1 hour ago, Tom1200 said:

If they really are intelligent I think they should be better protected.  Currently there are approximately 200 000 sperm whales, each devouring upwards on a tonne of squid every day.  Since the ban on commercial whaling these monstrous mammals are of no further use to us, so let's get rid of them.  Lift the ban, tell the Japanese and hey presto! - within a year there'll be none left. ¹ 

Then the oceans will team with intelligent life and maybe we humans can ease off inventing new stuff for a bit - let someone else do the hard work for a while.  I imagine, based on my vague recall of the Men in Black films, that cephalopod brains will one day discover teleportation and time travel.  And other stuff.  Probably.  In return we'll provide them with huge tvs and electric cars.

¹ If that's a bit drastic we could offer them a way out.  Give them a year or two to go vegetarian, then only kill the rest.

Interesting point of view if a little troll-like.

If sperm whales are more intelligent than squids are we wrong not to protect them 100% ?

If usefulness to humanity is the criteria, what use to us are giant squids?

If the oceans did  teem with intelligent and powerful life, they might resent human trespass, pollution, and hunting.

Maybe sperm whales are the only creature preventing the total eradication of the human race by time traveling, teleporting cephalopods   How ungrateful we are.

 

[Seti42]

[Nnicolette]

On 1/19/2020 at 5:38 AM, DreadLordAvatar said:

Because these are aliens, 

In all seriousness i keep hearing that comparison because of the way octopi rewrite their own rna. It is pretty amazing i mean changing your size, color, and genetic coding at will is pretty impressive i am sure they really would be capable of adapting to various planets.