Giant 62ft ‘Kraken’ monster ‘discovered’ lurking deep in ocean as monster is probably not delusion
Scientists claim to have found proof that the “kraken-like” beast was definitely real, having been the tale of legends up until now.
Evidence of a giant octopus has been found(Image: Getty Images)
A giant 62 foot octopus monster is said to have been found roaming our seas. Scientists claim to have found proof that the “kraken-like” beast was definitely real, having been the tale of legends up until now.
The Kraken has always been known as a legend of a mythical sea monster, originating in Scandinavian folklore and feared by sailors of the past thanks to its depiction of being capable of destroying entire ships in one swoop. But now, top science boffs think they have uncovered evidence to prove those sailors were right to be terrified on voyages, as the giant 62 foot octopus was actually real.
A study published this week in the American Association for the Advancement of Science found that huge cephalopods roamed the waters during the Cretaceous period. Cephalopods are a group of animals made up of the likes of octopus, squid, cuttlefish, nautilus and kin. The word derives from Greek and means ‘head foot’.
The Cretaceous is a geological period that began 145 million years ago and ended 66 million years ago – just after the Jurassic Period – and now scientists believe they have found fossils proving these creatures were real.
In a paper, researchers say the beast “had among the largest body sizes of all organisms in the Cretaceous oceans”, having looked patterns of wear on the fossilised jaws.
They identified two main species of finned octopuses and say they could have been as big as 62 foot.
Their notes say that while the giant things lived ‘far too early to have been the source’ of the Kraken legend, the fossil octopods from the late Cretaceous ‘truly would have fit the description of the monster’.
“Wear patterns on their jaws suggest that these octopods preyed upon the large reptiles present at the time, including plesiosaurs and mosasaurs,” wrote editor Sacha Vignieri.
“The authors interpret asymmetry in these wear patterns as an indication of corresponding asymmetry in behaviour, suggesting complex brain development and, potentially, high intelligence.”
