Discover the Ancient Bone-Eating Worms: Masters of the Ocean for 100 Million Years!

Some fascinating worms don’t just munch on leaves—they feast on bones! A recent study traced these bone-eating worms back over 100 million years, highlighting their evolution.

Deep underwater, a type of worm called Osedax gorges on whale carcasses, extracting fats and proteins from their skeletons. By examining fossils, researchers from University College London (UCL) and the Natural History Museum identified seven new types of these worms from the Cretaceous period.

During that time, whales didn’t exist, but these worms left traces in the bones of ancient marine reptiles like mosasaurs and ichthyosaurs. Paleontologist Sarah Jamison-Todd stated, “We haven’t found anything else that makes a similar burrow to these animals.” The patterns in the fossils closely resemble those of today’s Osedax, suggesting that they evolved much earlier than experts previously thought.

The researchers used CT scans to investigate 130 fossils. They discovered burrow signs on six of them, which led to the discovery of new ichnospecies based on these fossil traces. This highlights an unexpected consistency in how these worms evolved over millions of years.

Microscopic particles in the fossils helped the team accurately date them to about 100 million years ago, revealing insights about the timeline of these creatures. “By analyzing the small organisms in the chalk, we could date the fossils more precisely,” remarked Marc Jones, another paleontologist involved in the study.

This research opens doors for more discoveries. Future studies on ancient fossils and modern species could shed light on how these worms have influenced marine ecosystems over eons. Interestingly, some patterns from ancient burrows mirror those made by today’s species. Was this just a coincidence or a case of convergent evolution? Questions like these could reshape our understanding of these organisms.

The study offers valuable insights and has been published in PLOS ONE. Science continues to unravel the complex history of life on Earth, showing that the past is rich with surprises waiting to be discovered.

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