How Octopuses Hacked their Ribosome to Become Smart

Hackaday is reporting on research by Rishav Mitra revealing that octopuses evolved their primate-like intelligence through a single ribosomal mutation. This break in their ribosomal RNA—called H88—makes protein synthesis more accurate, which matters especially for long-lived neurons vulnerable to misfolded protein damage. The researchers tested the theory by introducing the same mutation into E. coli bacteria, confirming improved protein accuracy. It's a striking case of convergent evolution: the same molecular solution arising independently in species with no shared evolutionary path.

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