Octopus intelligence may be related to never-before-seen mutation

Researchers discovered a never-before-seen mutation in shallow-water octopuses involving a gap in ribosomal RNA that enables cells to produce proteins with twice their usual accuracy. The mutation, found only in octopuses with enlarged nervous systems capable of complex behaviors but absent in deep-sea octopuses and squids, may be linked to octopus intelligence, though direct evidence has not yet been established. The discovery was made accidentally while studying the California two-spot octopus and suggests this genetic adaptation may have evolved alongside the development of their sophisticated brains.