Thursday, November 3, 2011

'Zombie' Worms Found in Mediterranean Fossil

Is it possible that worms know more about history than we think? There is a certain worm species called Osedax that represent a major concern for historians. It appears that they are eating up evidence of fossil records. They were first found in a whale fossil bones where it could have lived in for 7 years at least. According to researches they have lived in the ocean but they are currently found in the Mediterranean but they are still widely undiscovered. Any worms from the Osedax genus don’t have a mouth or gut but they grow root like tissue that dissolve the bone as they grow. They were first discovered in 2002 in whale’s bones in Monterrey bay California. Scientists cannot understand how they evolved and where they lived since of their soft body which does not leave a fossil. On the other hand they are still interested in to figure out what they can from the evidence that they have. One of the only ways to see if the worm has been there is by the distinctive bulb shaped cavities that they live behind. Owing to the fact that the Mediterranean dried out 6 million years ago and many sea animals died but it  was re-flooded by the Atlantic ocean, renowned professor concluded:  "There are 20 different species in Monterey, California alone, so it's almost certain there are many more out there. If Osedax were living the Mediterranean three million years ago there's no reason why they aren't living there now."

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