Octopus are known for their extraordinary dexterity. New research by a team from the University of Chicago shows that their nervous system is segmented, allowing precise control across all eight arms. The researchers looked at the axial nerve cord of the California two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides) and found neuronal cell bodies packed into columns that formed segments. Nerves from multiple segments are connected to different regions of muscle, suggesting the segments work together to control movement. Nerves for the suckers, which are packed with sensory receptors akin to a hand with a tongue and a nose, also exited from the axial nerve cord. A segmented nervous system may facilitate a complex sensory-motor ability found in animals with sensory suckers. “If you're going to have a nervous system that's controlling such dynamic movement, that's a good way to set it up,” said Clifton Ragsdale, senior author of the study in a press release. “We think it’s a feature that specifically evolved in soft-bodied cephalopods with suckers to carry out these worm-like movements.”
Journal reference DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-55475-5
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