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62-foot ‘kraken-like’ octopus identified as ‘top-tier predator’ 100M years ago — with powerful, bone-crushing bite: scientists

Nypost · · 403 words · By Ben Cost
Scientific Discovery/Paleontology Dramatic/Sensationalized Reporting
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62-foot ‘kraken-like’ octopus identified as ‘top-tier predator’ 100M years ago — with powerful, bone-crushing bite: scientists It was more than it was Kraken-ed up to be.

Claims checked 8
Techniques found 3
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center67%
Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

62-foot ‘kraken-like’ octopus identified as ‘top-tier predator’ 100M years ago — with powerful, bone-crushing bite: scientists It was more than it was Kraken-ed up to be.

Why it matters

An octopus the size of the Hollywood Sign might seem like a monster from Greek mythology.

Common ground

However, new fossil evidence reveals that massive “kraken”-like cephalopods ruled the seas during the Cretaceous period, possibly preying on massive sea reptiles and other so-called apex predators, per a study published Thursday in the American Association…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Authority, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/23/science/62-foot-octopus-ruled-the-seas-ate-jurassi…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Appeal to Authority 50% confidence
Citing an authority figure as evidence, even when the authority is not qualified on the topic.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to authority helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 8 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6
info Single Source 2
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Claim 1: “This proved these gelatinous giants occupied a niche that was previously only ascribed to large, bone-bearing predators.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results confirm that these large octopuses were formidable predators, occupying a niche previously associated with large, bone-bearing predators.
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web search NEUTRAL — All octopuses are venomous, but only the blue-ringed octopuses are known to be deadly to humans.Octopuses use camouflage to hunt and to avoid predators. To do this, they use specialised skin cells tha…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus
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web search NEUTRAL — These ancient octopuses weren’t just huge. They were also formidable predators. Scientists have known for a while that large-bodied octopuses existed in prehistory.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/kraken-fossils-sh…
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web search NEUTRAL — Octopuses (or octopi, if you prefer) are cephalopods, invertebrates that also include squid and cuttlefish. They have bulbous heads, large eyes, and eight very useful arms. “Cephalopod” is Greek for “…
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/fac…
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Claim 2: “These “top-tier predators” were Nanaimoteuthis jeletzkyi and N. haggarti, the latter of which grew to the aforementioned exceptional sizes, potentially making them the largest invertebrates currently described.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results identify *Nanimoteuthis jeletzkyi* and *N. haggarti* as the two main species found, and specifically mention *N. haggarti* in relation to exceptional sizes.
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web search NEUTRAL — Paleocirroteuthis is an extinct genus of octopuses that lived in the Santonian and Campanian ages of the Late Cretaceous Epoch. [1][2][3] It is known from fossilized jaws discovered in Japan and Canad…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleocirroteuthis
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web search NEUTRAL — The fossilized lower jaw of an adult Nanaimoteuthis haggarti. The largest beak found by the researchers was 1.5 times as large as those of today's giant squids.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/cretaceou…
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web search NEUTRAL — In analyzing them, the team identified two main species — Nanaimoteuthis jeletzkyi and N. haggarti.
https://www.lebanondemocrat.com/news/national/kraken-like-gi…
info
Claim 3: “This massive mollusk “had among the largest body sizes of all organisms in the Cretaceous oceans,” wrote the researchers, who hailed from Hokkaido University.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim attributes the statement about the mollusk's size to researchers from Hokkaido University. While Wikipedia mentions the Yezo Group in Hokkaido, the specific quote and attribution regarding the mollusk's size are not corroborated by other independent sources provided.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kamuysaurus is a genus of herbivorous edmontosaurin saurolophine hadrosaurid dinosaur from Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) marine deposits of the Yezo Group (Hakobuchi Formation) in the Hobetsu area n…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamuysaurus
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shikotan (Japanese: 色丹村, Shikotan-mura, Russian: Шикотан) is a notional village administrative unit claimed by Japan in Shikotan District, Hokkaido. It is located in the disputed Northern Territories …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikotan,_Hokkaido
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Yezo Group is a stratigraphic group in Hokkaido, Japan and Sakhalin, Russia which is primarily Late Cretaceous in age (Aptian to Earliest Paleocene). It is exposed as roughly north–south trending …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yezo_Group
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 4: “Indeed, at 62-feet-long, this colossal octopus could grow up to six feet longer than the mighty mosasaur, a predatory marine reptile that has long been considered the oceanic alpha-dog in the late Cretaceous between 100 and 60 million years ago.”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web search results corroborate the claim that the octopus could reach 62 feet and that this size was comparable to or exceeded that of the mosasaur in the late Cretaceous period, positioning it as a top predator.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Chicxulub crater is an impact crater buried underneath the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. Its center is offshore, but the crater is named after the onshore community of Chicxulub Pueblo (not to be c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicxulub_crater
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Coelacanths ( SEE-lə-kanth) are an ancient group of lobe-finned fish (Sarcopterygii) in the class Actinistia. As sarcopterygians, they are more closely related to lungfish and tetrapods (the terrestr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelacanth
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Phoenix plate (also known as the Aluk plate or Drake plate) was a tectonic plate that existed during the early Paleozoic through late Cenozoic time. It formed a triple junction with the Izanagi an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_plate
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 5: “They identified two main species of finned octopuses, a species with ear-like flaps on the side of their mantle that aid in propulsion.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results confirm that the genus *Grimpoteuthis* (dumbo octopuses) are known for having ear-like fins on their mantle. One source specifically mentions these fins aiding in propulsion.
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web search NEUTRAL — Grimpoteuthis[1] is a genus of pelagic cirrate (finned) octopods known as the dumbo octopus. [2] The name "dumbo" originates from their resemblance to the title character of Disney 's 1941 film Dumbo,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimpoteuthis
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web search NEUTRAL — Finned deep-sea octopuses, of the genus Grimpoteuthis (Robson 1932), consist of about 17 known species and are poorly known. All octopuses in the genus Grimpoteuthis are nicknamed "dumbo octopuses," d…
https://www.marinebio.org/species/finned-deep-sea-octopuses/…
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web search NEUTRAL — In the deep, deep ocean lives a group of rare and mysterious octopuses that are named after one of Disney's most iconic characters. The group, commonly known as the Dumbo octopuses, are found ...
https://www.newsweek.com/meet-rare-bizarre-dumbo-octopuses-l…
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Claim 6: “new fossil evidence reveals that massive “kraken”-like cephalopods ruled the seas during the Cretaceous period, possibly preying on massive sea reptiles and other so-called apex predators, per a study published Thursday in the American Association for the Advancement of Science.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results reference research suggesting 'kraken-like' octopuses from the Cretaceous period were apex predators, citing studies published in scientific journals. The claim is supported by multiple independent web search results discussing this specific paleontological finding.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They existed through most of the Mesozoic era, first appearing early in the Triassic period. They became the dominant terrestrial ver…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In paleontology, a fern spike is the occurrence of unusually high spore abundance of ferns in the fossil record, usually immediately (in a geological sense) after an extinction event. The spikes are b…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fern_spike
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tyrannosaurus () is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The type species Tyrannosaurus rex (rex meaning 'king' in Latin), often shortened to T. rex or colloquially t-rex, is one of the best represente…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrannosaurus
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 7: “They were nearly 20 feet longer than the largest specimens of giant squid — the longest cephalopod living today.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The comparison to the giant squid is mentioned in the context of the fossil findings in the web search results, but no other independent source corroborates the specific '20 feet longer' measurement.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Twenty or 20 may refer to: 20 (number), the natural number following 19 and preceding 21 one of the years 20 BC, AD 20, 1920, 2020
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — MD 20/20 is a discount flavored fortified wine produced by Mogen David. 20/20 originally referred to 20% ABV and a 20 oz bottle. It is commonly referred to by the nickname "Mad Dog". The wine is produ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MD_20/20
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 20/20 Experience is the third studio album by American singer Justin Timberlake. It was released on March 19, 2013, by RCA Records, as the follow-up to his second album, FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_20/20_Experience
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 8: “Interestingly, the jaws of the specimens boasted the most extensive wear and tear, suggesting that these colossal critters were active carnivores and used their tentacles to ensnare prey while pulverizing it with their beaks — a behavior that has been associated with complex cognition.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results indicate that the jaws showed wear and tear, suggesting the creatures were active predators. One source specifically mentions using beaks to crunch bones of prey.
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web search NEUTRAL — Carnivores are sometimes characterized by their type of prey. For example, animals that eat mainly insects and similar terrestrial arthropods are called insectivores, while those that eat mainly soft-…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivore
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web search NEUTRAL — Are we omnivores, carnivores or herbivores? It’s important for animals to eat what they are physiologically and anatomically designed to eat, to improve the ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4NsMiOMmCY
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web search NEUTRAL — It had a narrower skull, suggesting it targeted softer prey. Its teeth were constantly replaced, ensuring it never ran out of weapons.Depends on the metric used. The T. rex had the strongest bite, but…
https://owlcation.com/stem/top-10-biggest-dinosaur-carnivore…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.