A case of bone - bolt worm that currently spends its day chomp through the skeletons of drained hulk has actually been around for at least 100 million days , some 50 million years longer than originally believed , anew studyhas find . fit in to the research , these lilliputian , yarn - like worm used to dine on prehistoric shipboard soldier reptiles , such as plesiosaurus , and thus may have also bequeath a prick in the fogey record . The study has been write inBiology Letters .
dub the “ zombie worm,”Osedaxis a bizarre , fingerbreadth - length animal found in deep ocean habitats worldwide . Although their name may mean “ pearl devourer , ” these worms do not in reality own mouths and alternatively trust on acid to bear through skeletons . Osedaxalso do n’t have stomach , but they exploit beneficial bacteria which stop down the fats and protein present inner finger cymbals into nutrients that they can absorb and use as an energy author .
Since these worms are known for feed on the castanets of dead whales , or go down as they are called , it was take over that these animals credibly evolved at the same time , around45 million years ago , when the ascendant of whale transitioned from commonwealth to sea . But some researchers proposed that they may have appear much in the beginning than that , possibly feasting on ancient devil dog reptile which roamed the sea during the time of the dinosaurs .
To find evidence for this mind , researchers from Plymouth University scrutinized the 100 - million - year - old fossilize remains of a ocean turtle and aplesiosaur’sflipper using a CT scanner , which created detailed computer models of the skeletons . The resulting 3D images revealed the presence of typical bore holes and cavities which were characteristic of the burrowing proficiency utilise byOsedaxtoday .
This suggests thatOsedaxdid not in fact conscientious objector - evolve with hulk , but instead have been around at least since the early Cretaceous menstruum . And when plesiosaurus became extinct during the Cretaceous - third mess extinction event , which pass over out the dinosaurs , these worms turn their attention to ocean turtles and made a living off of them until whales came on the scene .
Alongside push back the day of the month for the appearance of these strange animals , these determination have implications for the fossil disc as they may have prevented many skeleton in the closet from becoming fossilized .
“ By destroying vertebrate skeletons before they could be buried,”explainslead researcher Silvia Danise , “ Osedaxmay be responsible for the loss of data on marine vertebrate general anatomy and carcass - fall biotic community on a global shell . ”
[ ViaPlymouth University , Biology LettersandScience ]
