Ancient DNA Reshuffling Linked to Cephalopod Intelligence

Scientists have uncovered that the remarkable intelligence of octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish may stem from an ancient reshuffling of their DNA. This genomic rearrangement created new connections between genes, altering the three‑dimensional structure of the genome. The changes are believed to have facilitated the evolution of these animals’ unusually complex nervous systems. The study highlights how structural genome evolution can drive the development of sophisticated neural architectures, offering new insights into the biological foundations of intelligence in cephalopods.