Octopuses and humans share intelligence gene

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xV3z7fjgRA

It is common knowledge that sea creatures like dolphins have a high level of intelligence. Scientists have now discovered that octopuses also have "remarkable" intelligence. A team of Italian marine biologists have revealed that octopi have a gene that also determines the intelligence of humans. The eight-tentacled sea creature has short sequences of DNA called "jumping genes". These same genes make up 45 per cent of the human genome. The researchers said the DNA sequences are important for learning and for creating and storing memories in the brain. The scientists say the DNA may give octopuses cognitive abilities that are similar to those humans have.

The scientists say their research findings are important as they give an insight into how octopuses amend their behaviour in response to different stimuli. Scientists describe this process as "behavioural plasticity". Biologist Graziano Fiorito suggested that the research could help us understand more about intelligence in humans. He said: "The brain of the octopus is functionally analogous in many of its characteristics to that of mammals.…For this reason [the DNA] represents a very interesting candidate to study to improve our knowledge of the evolution of intelligence." He says the brain structure of octopuses may mean the creatures are more similar to mammals than invertebrates and other sea life.

 
4. MARINE CREATURES: What do you know about these marine creatures?  

 

What I Know

What I Want to Know

Octopuses

 

 

Squid

 

 

Caviar

 

 

 Tuna

 

 

Jelly dish

 

 

Sea horses

 

 

 
6. KNOWLEDGE: Rank these with your partner. Put the best thing to have knowledge of at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

·         Money

·         Nutrition

·         Coding

·         Politics

·         Psychology

·         Literature

·         The environment

·         Marine biology

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1.

common knowledge

a.

An animal, rather than a human being.

      2.

creature

b.

A thin, flexible leg on a creature like an octopus or squid.

      3.

remarkable

c.

Relating to or found in the sea.

      4.

marine

d.

Worthy of attention; impressive.

      5.

tentacle

e.

Something known by most people.

      6.

genome

f.

Relating to the mental action of getting knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.

      7.

cognitive

g.

The complete set of genes or genetic material in a cell or organism.

    Paragraph 2

      8.

amend

h.

The process by which life is believed to have developed from earlier forms during the history of the earth.

      9.

stimuli

i.

Make small changes to something.

      10.

plasticity

j.

A warm-blooded animal with a backbone, hair or fur, milk, and the birth of live young.

      11.

analogous

k.

An animal without a backbone.

      12.

mammal

l.

The adaptability of an organism to changes in its environment.

      13.

evolution

m.

Comparable in many ways.

      14.

invertebrate

n.

Things that arouse activity or energy in someone or something.

 

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. creatures
  2. remarkable
  3. determines
  4. sequences
  5. similar
  6. findings
  7. process
  8. analogous
  9. evolution
  10. structure
  1. action
  2. alike
  3. amazing
  4. conclusion
  5. shape
  6. regulates
  7. development
  8. animals
  9. comparable
  10. cycles

Role play

Role  A – Money
You think money is the most important thing to have knowledge of. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why): coding, literature or the environment.

Role  B – Coding
You think coding is the most important thing to have knowledge of. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why): money, literature or the environment.

Role  C – Literature
You think literature is the most important thing to have knowledge of. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why): coding, money or the environment.

Role  D – The Environment
You think the environment is the most important thing to have knowledge of. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why): coding, literature or money.

Rolr F-Science

Discussion - Octopus DNA

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

  1. What did you think when you read the headline?
  2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'octopus'?
  3. What do you know about octopuses?
  4. What do you think of the intelligence of dolphins?
  5. What do you think of your intelligence?
  6. Why do people have different levels of intelligence?
  7. Which marine creatures do you like best?
  8. What do you know about DNA?
  9. How useful do you think it is to have eight tentacles?
  10. In what other ways are octopuses similar to humans?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

  1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
  2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'human'?
  3. What do you think about what you read?
  4. How intelligent do you think octopuses are?
  5. In what ways do octopuses show their intelligence?
  6. Do you think we should be eating octopuses?
  7. What do you know about the 'evolution of intelligence'?
  8. How can we improve our intelligence?
  9. What are the differences between vertebrates and invertebrates?
  10. What questions would you like to ask the researchers?

Spelling

Paragraph 1

  1. It is common enwlkgoed
  2. A team of Italian marine sistilbogo
  3. The eight-encaedttl sea creature
  4. make up 45 per cent of the human moneeg
  5. the DNA sueeqecsn
  6. the DNA may give octopuses givniteco abilities

Paragraph 2

  1. in response to different itimusl
  2. Scientists describe this process as behavioural stilptacyi
  3. functionally uaglansoo
  4. the uventlooi of intelligence
  5. the brain urscterut of octopuses
  6. more similar to mammals than seetrvbianrte

 


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