Scientists stumble across fossilized home of giant kraken

Studying what ocean life was like millions of years ago is no easy task, and paleontologists often rely on their best guess to determine what creatures inhabited earth's waters before we got here. The consensus among most researchers is that the giant, shark-like ichthyosaur ruled over its watery domain as the top predator, but a recent discovery may change that. After finding what looks like the prehistoric home of a massive octopus, scientists are rethinking how the ancient food chain operated. 

Paleontologist Mark McMenamin of Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts first examined the suspected kraken hangout — which is located in Nevada — this past summer. There, the fossilized remains of a pod of 45' ichthyosaurs was found, but this wasn't your typical collection of dinosaur bones. The 9 long-dead ocean predators weren't simply piled into a mound of bones, they were were neatly laid out and organized. What's more, the bones appeared to have been collected at different times, ruling out the possibility that all 9 died at once. 

Scientists believe the only aquatic creature who could have killed these massive beasts, dismembered them, and then organized the remains in such a way, is a larger-than-life octopus. The creature would have to have been massive in order to dispatch the fast, muscular ichthyosaurs, but that appears to be the only logical explanation. So while modern incarnations of such a leviathan dwell solely in the realm of science fiction, the next time you take a dip in the ocean, remember that a predator once lurked in those waters that could tear you apart... and then arrange your bones in its trophy room. 

[via PhysOrg]

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