Study Finds That the Incredible Arm Dexterity of an Octopus Comes From a Segmented Nervous System

A fascinating study conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Chicago found that the eight prehensile arms of an octopus are segmented from the rest of the cephalopods body, allowing them to have great dexterity in movement and precise control over all eight arms when capturing prey.

The researchers looked at the axial nerve cord of the California two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides) and found neuronal cell bodies packed into columns that formed segments. Nerves from multiple segments are connected to different regions of muscle, suggesting the segments work together to control movement.