A couple of curious squid stories have been peppering my news feed this weekend:
First, a dried squid in Hawaii looked enough like a severed hand to get the homicide brigade called out to the beach.
Um, creepy! And not particularly squid-like. I think I agree with the commenter who suggested it might actually be a dried octopus.
Second is a squid who's been dead for MUCH longer--like maybe a hundred million years. New digging in the Manitoba Escarpment has unearthed an ancient squid pen, the stiff rod that runs along the length of a squid's body and gives its muscles something to push against.
Since they're not calcified, pens don't fossilize nearly as well as shells, so it's pretty thrilling to find one. (Also I guess they found a mososaur and some old bird.) In the words of the Canadian Fossil Discovery Center's assistant curator,
This dig site is showcasing the most exciting five inches of rock that I've ever witnessed.
Now there's a nerd after my own heart.
