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re: Why is an octopus so smart and have so many crazy skills but only live for a few years?

Posted on 12/17/25 at 8:53 pm to
Posted by Dawg7730
Member since Mar 2021
3097 posts
Posted on 12/17/25 at 8:53 pm to
quote:

From an evolutionary standpoint


So shouldn’t this make you question if evolution is true? Think critically.
Posted by La Place Mike
West Florida Republic
Member since Jan 2004
31405 posts
Posted on 12/17/25 at 8:54 pm to
1 human day = 100 Octopi years. I thought everyone knew this.
Posted by LSUA 75
Colfax,La.
Member since Jan 2019
4955 posts
Posted on 12/17/25 at 9:37 pm to
Rats are pretty damn smart and they don’t live very long either.
Posted by Havoc
Member since Nov 2015
39274 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 4:57 am to
quote:

I stopped eating octopus after watching My Octopus Teacher and reading about them. Crazy fricking smart and have high IQ emotions.

frick that. Octopus is delicious.

Plus, with editing they can make animals look more smart and reactive than they really are. Just like on reality tv shows.
Posted by nealnan8
Atlanta
Member since Oct 2016
4735 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 5:43 am to
quote:

I stopped eating octopus after watching My Octopus Teacher and reading about them.

You probably shouldn't watch Chicken Run then.
Posted by Lonnie Utah
Utah!
Member since Jul 2012
34530 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 5:52 am to
quote:

So shouldn’t this make you question if evolution is true? Think critically.


OR, one could learn the evolutionary definition of "fitness" which is the number of copies of ones genes that you put in the next generation. That equation has no time scale. So if it takes 1 day, 1 year or 1 century, the equation doesn't care so long as it's maximized at the end. Without doing a deep dive into octopi life cycles, a short life cycle apparently optimizes the equation.
Posted by ChineseBandit58
Pearland, TX
Member since Aug 2005
49533 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 6:10 am to
quote:

From an evolutionary standpoint point why develop so many traits when you live such a short life?

'cause they noted what happened to the Homo Erectus specie when they started living a long time.
Posted by CatfishJohn
Member since Jun 2020
20304 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 7:20 am to
quote:

You probably shouldn't watch Chicken Run then.


I slaughter chickens myself sometimes. Dumb arse animals.
Posted by Salviati
Member since Apr 2006
7724 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 7:35 am to
quote:

It makes no sense that this animal is so smart and has so many skills like camouflage and a million other crazy things, but lives such a short life. From an evolutionary standpoint point why develop so many traits when you live such a short life?
Evolution does not favor the organism; it favors the species.

Shorter life spans mean more genetic diversity in a shorter amount of time. Greater genetic diversity in less time means greater likelihood to develop more and better skills like intelligence, camouflage, and a million other crazy things. The more and greater skills mean that the species can better adapt to its ecosystem and changes in the ecosystem. The more and greater skills that allow the species to better adapt to the changes in the ecosystem get passed along.
Posted by BigLSUNut
Prairieville, La.
Member since Oct 2007
1490 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 7:41 am to
quote:

That’s like who decided the alphabet was in alphabetical order?


"Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?"
Steven Wright
Posted by fr33manator
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2010
134653 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 7:43 am to
Be thankful, if they lived as long as us they'd be running this joint
Posted by soccerfüt
Location: A Series of Tubes
Member since May 2013
74878 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 7:44 am to
quote:

this animal is so smart and has so many skills like camouflage and a million other crazy things
A slight exaggeration….

It’s like saying Owlie is a great person because of his hair and a million other things.
This post was edited on 12/18/25 at 7:45 am
Posted by Toroballistic
Tallahassee
Member since Dec 2017
2262 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 8:11 am to
quote:

That’s like who decided the alphabet was in alphabetical order?


I confess, that was me!!
Posted by HDAU
Member since Nov 2014
1693 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 9:43 am to
quote:

How many pots have you smoken?


ALL the pots!
Posted by saintkenn
Saintkenn
Member since Nov 2012
1281 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 9:58 am to
If they lived any longer, they would take over the world.
Posted by BluegrassBelle
RIP Hefty Lefty - 1981-2019
Member since Nov 2010
108040 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 9:59 am to
Speaking of octopus, recommend reading Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Marcellus is great.
Posted by PaperTiger
Ruston, LA
Member since Feb 2015
26643 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 10:07 am to
They do have a lot of crazy skills but not all the necessary ones.

For example, a quick google search says they starve while protecting their eggs. Then it says they reproduce once and it dies. So maybe they are still on the upswing of evolution. They evolved in how to survive short term, next step is long term.

Give it another 10 million years and lets revisit

EDIT: It also says, after further reading, that the Live Fast and Die Young method is the sole reason that they can evolve much faster.
This post was edited on 12/18/25 at 10:24 am
Posted by AUFANATL
Member since Dec 2007
5349 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 10:08 am to

If you think about it in a more complete way, most organisms - including the octopus - never make it close to one year. They lay hundreds of thousands of eggs and a lucky few of those will survive to adulthood or die of natural causes.

Nature is a cruel numbers game. Most of the numbers get eaten soon or quickly perish in some other fashion. Humans are just an outlier.

Posted by MBclass83
Member since Oct 2010
10264 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 10:12 am to
Because we eat them and they are delicious with garlic butter.
Posted by Rza32
Member since Nov 2008
4578 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 10:57 am to
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