Colossal prehistoric krakens may have sculpted self-portraits using ichthyosaur bones

[JPhillips]

http://io9.com/5848192/

We hypothesize that the shonisaurs were killed and carried to the site by an enormous Triassic cephalopod, a "kraken," with estimated length of approximately 30 m, twice that of the modern Colossal Squid Mesonychoteuthis. In this scenario, shonisaurs were ambushed by a Triassic kraken, drowned, and dumped on a midden like that of a modern octopus. Where vertebrae in the assemblage are disarticulated, disks are arranged in curious linear patterns with almost geometric regularity. Close fitting due to spinal ligament contraction is disproved by the juxtaposition of different-sized vertebrae from different parts of the vertebral column. The proposed Triassic kraken, which could have been the most intelligent invertebrate ever, arranged the vertebral discs in biserial patterns, with individual pieces nesting in a fitted fashion as if they were part of a puzzle. The arranged vertebrae resemble the pattern of sucker discs on a cephalopod tentacle, with each amphicoelous vertebra strongly resembling a coleoid sucker. Thus the tessellated vertebral disc pavement may represent the earliest known self‑portrait.

It's pretty badass to kill creatures and use the bones to make pictures of yourself.

edit: title fixed

[Kodos]

Sounds like something The Predator would do.

[JediKooter]

Want some candy?

[SteveMax58]

[Groundhog]

Strangest of all was that, scribbled on the bones, was a curious phrase:

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

[cody8200]

Has to be included in this thread.

[Drake]

The comments section makes the article.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Drake

The comments section makes the article.

Agreed:

"I think I speak for the entire paleontological community when I say:
This is not what most of us do with our time, honestly. Most of us try to do science, instead of coming to nearly-insane conclusions. "
"And that's clearly where you've let us down. The Mad Science community has been long needing some Mad Paleontologists to join its ranks. (Not the crackpots that have long bedeviled paleontologists.) "
" You're just jealous because this is cooler than turning everything into giant chickens. "

SI