Did kraken-like octopuses rule Cretaceous seas? Massive jaw fossils offer clues

Artist’s impression of an extinct Nanaimoteuthis species, often called krakens, which could have rivalled large marine reptiles in terms of size. Credit: Masato Hattori/Science Photo Library In the age of the dinosaurs, while Tyrannosaurus rex terrorized the land, gargantuan octopuses might have been among the top predators in the sea. Scientists have identified extinct octopuses — sometimes named krakens after the mythological monsters — that might have grown to nearly 19 metres in length. …