The Jurassic cephalopod Vampyronassa rhodanica, thought to be the oldest known ancestor of the modern-day vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis), was likely an active hunter—a mode of life that is ...

Vampire by name, vampire by nature. Scientists have discovered that the oldest known ancestor of the vampire squid had extra-strong suckers and hair-like strands known as 'cirri' on its arms that it ...

Despite the scary name, modern vampire squid are docile denizens of the deep sea — but their Jurassic ancestors may have been a lot fiercer. Fossilized tissue suggests V. rhodanica had a very ...