For those lost, the article is largely expanding on just a single sentence:

> octopuses possess a massively expanded repertoire of microRNAs (miRNAs) in their neural tissue – reflecting similar developments that occurred in vertebrates.

Better reading: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.add9938

Octopuses are interesting because they are so different from the mammals, yet are somewhat intelligent. The visual system is good but very different. They seem to have a more distributed system than mammals, with more done out in the limbs. More like the way automated factories are built. There's more than one way to do it.

Somewhat related - if you haven't yet, do see the "My Octopus Teacher" doccie on Netflix. Extraordinary creatures are these.

Yes, what do they have in common indeed. I didn't quite catch that from that article.

Haven't heard of microRNA before...so this is just random RNA floating around?

So intelligent yet so short-lived.