In the world of paleontology, a true gem has been unveiled—a remarkably well-preserved fossilized octopus that promises to unravel ancient secrets from the depths of the past.

Cephalopod fossils, especially those revealing the soft-tissue anatomy of these intriguing creatures, are notoriously rare. However, the recent discovery of a 165-million-year-old fossilized octopus in France has captured the attention of paleontologists and enthusiasts alike.

This exceptional cephalopod, named Proteroctopus ribeti, was initially described in 1982 by J. C. Fischer and B. Riou. Despite its uniqueness, the fossil presented challenges due to its deflated appearance—a flattened version of its original form.

Now, more than three decades later, a team of paleontologists led by Isabelle Kruta from Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris has breathed new life into the ancient specimen.

Using synchrotron microtomography, a cutting-edge imaging technique, the researchers reconstructed Proteroctopus in three dimensions. The result is a detailed and accurate representation of what this emblematic cephalopod looked like when it roamed the oceans 165 million years ago.

The reinflated and restored Proteroctopus provides valuable insights into the anatomy of ancient octopuses. The researchers placed it within the Vampyropoda group, a major octopus group that includes the common octopus and the vampire squid.

While sharing similarities with modern deep-sea forms of Vampyropoda, Proteroctopus exhibits a few distinctive features, such as eight arms and fins on either side of its body. Notably, it lacks an ink sac, a characteristic present in the modern Vampyroteuthis.

The arrangement of suckers on Proteroctopus is another intriguing detail—the suckers are obliquely offset from one another, setting it apart from many extant octopuses. This revelation challenges previous assumptions about the evolution of octopus characteristics, suggesting that certain features, like the arrangement of suckers, were already present in the Jurassic period.

As paleontologists continue to explore and analyze the fossil record, Proteroctopus stands as a testament to the early diversification of octopus body shapes. The findings hint at a broader range of octopus diversity by approximately 164 million years ago, challenging our understanding of the evolutionary timeline of these fascinating marine creatures.