Study links octopus DNA folding to intelligence

A new study from the University of Vienna suggests that the way octopus DNA is folded inside cells may explain its advanced intelligence. The research, published October 9 in Nature Communications, compared DNA structures in octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish, which share a common ancestor from hundreds of millions of years ago.

The study found that DNA in these species is folded into complex three-dimensional structures, allowing distant parts of the genome to interact. This folding may have enabled the development of new traits while maintaining essential biological functions.

Researchers mapped the DNA folding patterns of a bobtail squid, cuttlefish, and California two-spot octopus. While the overall DNA structure was similar across species, the smaller connections between distant DNA segments varied significantly, especially near genes related to nervous system development.

Octopuses showed more DNA rearrangement than squid and cuttlefish, suggesting more genetic connections between previously distant regions. To test the impact of these changes, scientists deleted a 1,000-letter DNA segment in a squid relative. The experiment revealed developmental delays and varied effects on brain and body structures.

The findings challenge the idea that genome shape is a passive result of evolution. Instead, the study suggests that DNA folding may actively influence evolutionary development, potentially explaining the intelligence of octopuses and their relatives.