Teaching Ancient Nautilus New Tricks

www.sciencefriday.com
With its heavy outer shell, weak vision, and primitive brain, the nautilus lacks much of the excitement of the more flashy and cunning cephalopods. Yet a series of experiments by evolutionary biologists Dr. Jennifer Basil and Robyn Crook involving fish juice, blue lights, and mazes dispels the notion that this ancient species is incapable of basic learning and throws into question the origins of cephalopods' intellectual prowess.
Produced by Luke Groskin
Music by Audio Network
Additional Stills and Video Courtesy
Monterey Bay Aquarium, Robyn Crook, Peter Godfrey Smith, Henrik Steenfeldt Neils Ulmer Gary Friesen The Aquarium of the Pacific, Prelinger Archives, Shutterstock

[@Khuratokh]

What I love about the nautilus is that in contrast to their cousins, they rarely have a clue what they are swimming towards and are constantly bumping into things. How they managed to survive while ammonites haven't is mind boggling.

[@ganymede242]

Octopuses. Octopi is nonsense.

[@cheukyi6]

Nautilus is definitely an art masterpiece by the nature. Simply gorgeous.

[@justgrace9125]

An octopus brain kinda looks like a pair of kidneys from a top down view.

[@arrowassasin852]

its just the cutest thing ever

[@JeremyHoffman]

This might be my favorite nautilus video of all time. It starts out by explaining how the nautilus is the loser of the cephalopod family. Before you know it they're running experiments where they strap the nautilus into a "car seat"! THERE ARE SCIENTISTS WHO MAKE NAUTILUS CAR SEATS.

[@IZ3X]

Definitely needs a nerf, the "chambered nautilus" skin also provides an unfair advantage in ranked. Plz fix this rito.

[@joelu2629]

The nautilus is pretty much my dad

[@blusteryVagabond]

Tiny Helmet Cthulhu is watching you~

[@Jayremy89]

The Cephalopods are part of an advanced alien race soon to be discovered and rise up with their superior technology and attempt to take over Earth. Well that is according to Crysis.

[@IRAMantisShrimp]

Something I've kind of figured personally as far as evolution is considered is that evolution and traits are primarily driven by food. Freud said it was sex; sure, reproduction is a very powerful motivator, but it's not one that can create life-changing adaptations. On the contrary, it often can be very deadly to some species, encouraging forms of specialization that are great for the sake of reproduction but if ever there was change could lead to their extinction (Birds of Paradise, for example, who weren't afraid of humans and developed their colorful and conveniently easy-to-spot display feathers on an island where no other predators could get at them. Throw in a cat or a couple of rats in there, and you're likely to spell extinction). When it comes to food, however, acquiring food and preventing oneself from becoming food is likely the primary motivator for the change and adaptation of all living things.

[@calebdinebudziszewskiradel8705]

Nautilus are so cool! We've got to protect them.

[@--Paws--]

Now that I look at it, the nautilus is just like a snail. Snails too have tentacles, the nautilus use their tentacles in a similar fashion as snails do. The snails have an operculum where as the nautilus has its hood. Snails scavenge most often and so do nautilus.

[@oogalook]

I happened to catch one of your radio shows on the air one time, but never found it again. Glad to have found this channel!

[@greg77389]

Can you teach the nautilus not to feed the enemy jung?

[@jaywang4818]

The fossil is an ammonite, belonging to Hoplitaceae superfamily and cleoniceras genus, of Cretaceous period from Madagascar and not a nautilus fossil as indicated in the video. It's a close cousin of nautilus. The nautilus is of the Nautilaceae superfamily.

[@jellysquiddles3194]

That was interesting, thank you.

[@planet4allofus]

I had one of those once , strange how they survive in nature , very clumsy , a solid shell with their heads protected by a leathery cap when retracted.

[@IxiaClover]

"who knows what else theyll learn between now and then"

[@johnplant4567]

She's a top herd animal, I'd like to study her brain.