Octopus ancestor that predates dinosaurs named after President Biden, scientists say

An ancient, 10-armed ancestor of modern octopuses lived millions of years earlier than previously thought, scientists reported.

Syllipsimopodi bideni takes part of its name from President Joe Biden — but it’s not an insult, scientists said in a study published Tuesday, March 8, in Nature.

“The species name is to celebrate the recently inaugurated (at the time of submission) 46th President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden,” the study reads.

The name also is intended to honor Biden’s support for science and scientific research, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The specimen, found in Montana’s Bear Gulch limestone foundations, was donated to the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada in 1988, according to the study.

It was overlooked until researchers discovered the 330 million-year-old fossil had 10 legs and a primitive ink sac, the study said. Modern octopuses have eight tentacles.

It’s likely the ancestor of both modern octopuses and squids, researchers found. The previously oldest known vampyropod, as they’re known, was 240 million years old.

This story was originally published March 8, 2022 at 1:42 PM with the headline "Octopus ancestor that predates dinosaurs named after President Biden, scientists say."