A new scientific paper questions whether earth's octopuses are actually the product of space aliens.

33 Scientists have signed onto a theory that octopuses are actually of extra-terrestrial origin. Their paper -- Cause of Cambrian Explosion - Terrestrial or Cosmic? -- examines how wildly more advanced octopuses are in intelligence and physiology to other sea creatures and questions whether their clear evolutionary convergence could stem from extra-terrestrial intervention.

No, no one is suggesting that full grown octopuses rode to earth on a meteor or rocket ship. But these 33 scientists do believe it is possible that extra-terrestrial organic material may have been introduced onto earth and dramatically altered the genes and evolutionary trajectory of octopus species. It is a small set of genes that are so different than any other sea species that led these scientists to question their origin.

"In our view, is that the new genes are likely new extraterrestrial imports to Earth — most plausibly as an already coherent group of functioning genes within (say) cryopreserved and matrix protected fertilized Octopus eggs," the scientists wrote in the study.

The hypothesis is part of a larger theory called Panspermia. This is the theory that life on earth either began, or was heavily influenced, by the arrival of alien biological material aboard asteroids or, more likely, icy meteors. The concept is referred to as "seeding," suggesting that small asteroid strikes onto inhabitable planets could introduce new alien life, potentially first inhabiting or altering the trajectory of life on the planet. Obviously, a complex multi-celled organism would not be able to survive the void of space or the ferocious impact once an asteroid hits a planet. But the study claims that it would be possible for basic organisms and microbes to theoretically travel across space to seed planets.

The authors summarize that their research leads to a very plausible conclusion: Life may have been seeded here on Earth by life-bearing comets as soon as conditions on Earth allowed it to flourish (about 4.1 Billion years ago); and living organisms such as space-resistant and space-hardy bacteria, viruses, more complex eukaryotic cells, fertilised ova and seeds have been continuously delivered ever since to Earth, is one important driver of further terrestrial evolution which has resulted in considerable genetic diversity and has led to the emergence of mankind.

While 33 scientists may have signed onto the theoretical paper, there are tens of thousands of scientists who vehemently disagree. Virologist Karin Moelling of the Max Planck Institute Molecular Genetics in Berlin says that while the paper is interesting to contemplate, "the main statement about viruses, microbes and even animals coming to us from space, cannot be taken seriously."

General consensus among the scientific community is that octopuses are not space aliens and that the planet's 300 species of octopus evolved from nautiloids 500 million years ago.

But if octopuses came from space to colonize our planet, isn't that what they would want us to think? Sound off in the comments below, and let's get the conversation started.