Ancient ocean mystery deepens as long-misidentified fossil is finally revealed by researchers

More than two decades after scientists identified a fossil as the world's oldest octopus — officials now say it wasn't one at all.

A recent study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B found that the fossil Pohlsepia mazonensis — a 300-million-year-old sea creature found in the Mazon Creek fossil beds of northeastern Illinois — was closer to a nautilus than an octopus.

Researchers now believe the creature was a relative of the nautilus, which is a shell-covered cephalopod with tentacles.

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Cephalopods are a class of marine animals that includes octopuses, squids and cuttlefish, and are known for their tentacles and advanced nervous systems — and for lacking rigid skeletons.

The fossil was identified as the world's oldest octopus in 2000 — but is now considered the oldest soft-tissue nautilus in the world.

University of Reading zoologist Thomas Clements, the lead researcher of the new study, told The Associated Press the fossil is a "very difficult [one] to interpret."

He added, "To look at it, it kind of just looks like a white mush."

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"If you look at it, and you are a cephalopod researcher, and you’re interested in everything octopus, it does superficially look a lot like a deep-water octopus."

The determining factor, Clements said, was its teeth — which researchers examined using a synchrotron to peer inside the fossil.

They found that each row had 11 teeth — more than the seven or nine typically found in octopuses.

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"This has too many teeth, so it can’t be an octopus," Clements said.

"And that’s how we realized that the world’s oldest octopus is actually a fossil nautilus, not an octopus."

The fossil had the same teeth as a nautiloid called Paleocadmus pohli, an ancient creature found in the same area.

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Researchers say the mix-up likely occurred because the creature decomposed and lost its shell before it was fossilized.

The next oldest-known octopus fossil is about 90 million years old — around 210 million years younger than the fossil Pohlsepia mazonensis.

"It’s a huge gap," Clements said, noting it had long raised questions.

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"And so that big gap got researchers sort of questioning, ‘Is this thing actually an octopus?'"

The fossil is currently held in the Field Museum in Chicago. 

Paul Mayer, who manages the museum's fossil invertebrate collections, said he was "a little surprised" by the new classification, but acknowledged that scientists have questioned the finding for years.

"People have been questioning whether it was an octopus ever since the original paper was first published in 2000," Mayer told the AP.

He added that the news "is great for our collections, and hopefully new discoveries will be made and new stories will be revealed."

The Associated Press contributed reporting. 

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Hillary Clinton warns US in 'very weak position' with Iran, 'lost the leverage' in negotiations

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday that the U.S. was in a weak position regarding negotiations with Iran.

"I worry that the United States is now in a very weak position vis-à-vis Iran, which should be the outlier, should be on the back foot and should be the one held to account," Clinton told MS NOW's "Morning Joe" on Monday.

Clinton told MS NOW that the U.S. would have to wipe the slate clean for negotiations with Iran and said they would "have to bring in people who actually know something about nuclear weapons."

Peace talks between the U.S. and Iran collapsed over the weekend, with Vice President JD Vance departing Pakistan empty-handed.

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"So we’re in a situation now where we are weak, where we essentially have lost the leverage and initiative that we had," Clinton added. "I supported Trump bombing the nuclear sites back in June. I thought that was an appropriate and limited strategic objective. I opposed his incoherent attack on Iran."

Clinton said the administration needed to get back to hard negotiations with the "right people at the table."

"And I also know from personal experience how [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu has tried to get every American president to agree to have an open-ended war with Iran, because I had many, many long hourslong conversations with him and his war cabinet about this and refusing to go along with a very inchoate desire to do something to Iran that, you know, with no real end state that could be described as sufficiently," she said.

"So now here we are. I think you’ve got to get back into hard negotiations with the right people at the table who know what they are doing," Clinton added.

President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. Navy to blockade Iran's ports in the Strait of Hormuz beginning Monday.

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The U.S. began enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz at 10 a.m. ET on Monday.

Trump ordered the blockade after peace talks with Tehran collapsed this weekend. A map of U.S. vessels in the region showed at least 17 ships deployed as of Monday morning.

U.S. Central Command announced plans to enforce the blockade earlier Monday in a notice to seafarers.

"Any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without authorization is subject to interception, ​diversion, and capture," the note said.

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The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

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Utah Valley University faces backlash over commencement speaker choice after Charlie Kirk's assassination

Utah Valley University (UVU) is facing backlash over its choice of commencement speaker as critics object to her past comments about Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk following his assassination on the same campus.

The university chose author and educator Sharon McMahon to address the graduating class. Days after Kirk was killed, McMahon wrote on X, "Millions of people feel they were harmed, and the murder that was horrific and should never have happened does not magically erase what was said or done."

"To many Americans, especially if you are Black, LGBTQ or Muslim, Charlie Kirk was not a person who simply engaged in good-faith debates on college campuses."

Turning Point USA chapter president at Utah Valley University Caleb Chilcutt called the selection of McMahon a "slap to the face" Monday on "Fox & Friends."

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"They could have brought any other speaker. If they liked Charlie, didn't like Charlie — I honestly don't really care. But the fact they brought someone who was so critical, literally days after the assassination on my campus, is just shameful for me," he said.

Chilcutt said attitudes were divided on campus, with conservative students generally upset while some liberal students chose to "celebrate."

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Former Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz also joined the program and labeled McMahon a "horrific choice" of speaker just months after Kirk's death, calling her a "liberal hack."

He said Utah's largest university should know better, but that there is still time to change course.

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Scottie Scheffler takes issue with Masters' course conditions after second-place finish

Scottie Scheffler finished just behind Rory McIlroy at the Masters this weekend, finishing just a stroke behind the back-to-back green jacket winner.

Scheffler took issue with the conditions at Augusta National Golf Course and expressed as much after wrapping up the fourth round of the tournament on Sunday evening, telling reporters he wasn’t "in charge of the course setup."

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"I would’ve liked it to have been a little bit more equal in terms of the firmness on Thursday and Friday. I was a bit surprised at how soft things were on Friday afternoon, especially as it got late in the day. But the weather also changes, like it was a bit windy on Thursday," he said, via Golf.com.

"So who knows, it’s just that’s part of the game. We play an outdoor sport, and you don’t know how conditions are gonna change — especially course conditions. Overall, like I said, just Friday for me, going out early, not being able to shoot an under-par round, that definitely hurt my chances. I think I started the weekend maybe 12 back, so to get within one was a pretty good run."

Scheffler said his second round "probably hurt" his chances of winning the tournament the most. He shot a 74 that day with four bogeys before storming back into contention.

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"We went out on Thursday, Thursday afternoon were some of the most challenging conditions we had all week," he said. "I didn’t see many birdies out there Thursday afternoon, so going out on Friday, whatever they did to the greens to soften them up, they did some stuff, and I just wasn’t able to take advantage of that going on early on Friday.

"And then you saw the barrage of birdies that Rory made and Cam Young and a bunch of guys made on Friday late in the day, and I think I finished maybe two over par on Friday. So that day probably hurt the most in terms of my chances to win."

Scheffler made 12 birdies and two eagles in the tournament. But he also settled for five bogeys over the four rounds.

He was 11-under par for the tournament.

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Tiger Woods 'ashamed' after second DUI arrest amid seeking treatment: report

After his second DUI arrest in under a decade, it is apparent that Tiger Woods is doing some looking in the mirror.

The 15-time major winner was arrested on March 27 after getting into a car crash in which his Range Rover turned onto its driver's side.

Woods put up all zeroes on a breathalyzer but was given field sobriety tests after being "lethargic." He was eventually handcuffed, and it is now speculated that he is in Switzerland for treatment.

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People magazine said Woods, 50, is "ashamed" of his latest drama, citing a source.

"Tiger can be defensive at times but he was embarrassed and ashamed at the latest accident. He wants to fix his problems," the source told People. "There is nobody more interested in seeing Tiger come out a winner again than Tiger. He doesn’t do well with defeat and embarrassing public situations."

A court filing shows that a subpoena will be issued later this month for Woods' prescription drug records from Jan. 1 through his arrest.

Woods told law enforcement prior to the field sobriety tests that he underwent seven back surgeries and "over 20 operations on his leg." He told law enforcement that "I take a few" prescription medications. In 2021, he got into a wreck that resulted in serious leg injuries that kept him off the golf course for the entire year.

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He also mentioned that his ankle was fused and he walks with a limp due to the injuries. Due to the nature of his injuries, authorities made him do the exercises sitting down.

Woods announced days after the arrest that he would "seek treatment," and he was given permission to travel out of the country in order to do so.

"I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today. I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery," Woods said in a statement posted to social media.

"I’m committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger, and more focused place, both personally and professionally. I appreciate your understanding and support, and ask for privacy for my family, loved ones and myself at this time."

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‘The Madison’ star Elle Chapman says 8-mile hikes, horse rides in Montana kept her ‘grounded’

"The Madison" star Elle Chapman has found what works for her wellness routine while starring in her biggest role yet.

During an interview with NewBeauty, Chapman opened up about how she was able to stay grounded while starring in the Taylor Sheridan show.

"We filmed part of 'The Madison' in Montana, and exploring the beauty of the state was incredible. I’d recharge with hiking areas like Fairy Lake, The M, Peets Hill and the Gallatin National Forest," Chapman began.

She continued, "I think one day Patrick J. Adams and I hiked eight miles! Also, thanks to our show's head wrangler, Jason Owen, I was able to ride horses on the weekends. That mix of nature and physical movement kept me grounded."

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While spending time in Montana filming "The Madison," the young actress became "obsessed" with hot yoga.

"I absolutely hate it when I’m doing it, but it's a perfect reset. While filming in Montana, I found a spot in Bozeman called Bend & Beyond that would kick my a--, but I always felt incredible afterward!" she told the outlet.

Chapman stars as Paige McIntosh, the daughter of Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell's characters. During an interview with The Mirror, Chapman opened up about how her own history with loss influenced her performance as Paige.

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"For me, the show was very heavy because I lost my father when I was young, but it was also cathartic in a way because I was reliving some moments sometimes," she told the outlet in March.

Chapman echoed these sentiments during an interview with Town & Country. "We both share a lot of grief," she said of her character. "I have been through that; I’ve been through losing your father and feeling like your whole family’s falling apart."

WATCH: ‘The Madison’ cast praises Michelle Pfeiffer, Kurt Russell, says co-stars are ‘best of the best’ 

"Not only are these characters grieving, but they’re also being stripped away from what they know," she continued. "That’s what grief feels like. When you lose someone, it feels like your entire world has shifted and changed, and that’s what these characters are going through, literally. They are being ripped away from the New York City comforts."

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She also told The Mirror that working with Pfeiffer reminded her of her own family.

"Michelle’s performances always bring out some different things in you and in one take I started crying and after we cut I couldn’t stop crying," she said. "I apologized and said 'I’m sorry, I can’t get out of this'. It was something she said that reminded me of my dad."

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Chapman continued, "She [Michelle] said 'It’s okay, baby. You are an artist and this just means your instrument is working', and I just really took that home and I don’t think I will ever forget that moment, especially for a rookie to experience something like that."

The 26-year-old star told NewBeauty that she remains calm in the chaos by reaching out to her family.

"In overwhelming moments, what grounds me is reconnecting with what truly matters to me—whether that’s calling my grandmother or little sister, or taking time to draw in my sketchbook or play guitar," she said. "I ground myself by doing something that makes me feel safe, which is usually art or music-related if it’s not loved ones."

"The Madison" premiered on Paramount+ on March 14.

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Machete-wielding suspect claiming to be 'Lucifer' shot by police after allegedly stabbing 3 at transit hub

The New York Police Department (NYPD) said an officer shot and killed a suspect who claimed to be "Lucifer" in Grand Central Terminal while allegedly attacking three people with a machete on the subway platform.

Officers shot and killed 44-year-old Anthony Griffin after he advanced towards them with a machete, ignoring over 20 warnings to stop, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a Saturday press conference.

Officers responded to a 9:40 a.m. 911 call of an assault in progress at the train station. Upon arrival, they found Griffin wielding the machete, police said.

Griffin was "repeatedly stating that he was Lucifer," Tisch said.

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After Griffin refused orders to drop the knife, one officer discharged his service weapon and shot him twice, she added. Griffin was transported to a local hospital and died.

Griffin had three prior unsealed arrests but no history of being an emotionally disturbed person, Tisch told reporters.

The three stabbing victims were an 84-year-old male, a 70-year-old female, and a 64-year-old male. All three were transported to local hospitals but are all in stable condition.

The 84-year-old sustained face and head lacerations, the 65-year old man sustained similar injuries in addition to an open skull fracture. The 70-year-old sustained shoulder lacerations.

Two NYPD officers were also taken to hospitals with minor injuries.

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Tisch lauded her officers for taking action while admonishing the dangers of violent crime.

"Random acts of violence scare everyone. Anyone can be a victim of random violence and that is why it is so important for New Yorkers to understand that the NYPD has recently upped our presence in the transit system," Tisch said, while saying the NYPD added 175 additional officers last month.

The 4, 5, 6, and 7 trains are skipping the Grand Central Terminal 42nd St. stop while the NYPD conduct an investigation, the Metro Transit Authority (MTA) told Fox News Digital.

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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul weighed in, calling the series of stabbings a "senseless act of violence" in a Saturday morning tweet.

"I'm grateful to our brave officers who acted quickly to stop the suspect," she wrote, adding that Albany would be working closely with the NYPD on the investigation.

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