Giant worm's undersea lair discovered by fossil hunters in Taiwan
Scientists believe 2-metre-long burrow once housed predator that ambushed passing sea creatures
Ian Sample Science editor
@iansample
Thu 21 Jan 2021 11.00 EST
The undersea lair of a giant worm that ambushed passing marine creatures 20m years ago has been uncovered by fossil hunters in Taiwan.
Researchers believe the 2-metre-long burrow found in ancient marine sediment once housed a prehistoric predator that burst out of the seabed and dragged unsuspecting animals down into its lair.
The creature may have been similar to the ferocious “Bobbit worms” of today that lie in wait in sandy seafloor burrows with antennae protruding to sense passersby. Though soft-bodied, the worms possess sharp and powerful jaws that can slice a fish in two.
“After 20m years, it’s not possible to say whether this was made by an ancestor of the Bobbit worm or another predatory worm that worked in more or less the same way,” said Prof Ludvig Löwemark, a sedimentologist at National Taiwan University. “There’s huge variation in Bobbit worm behaviour, but this seems very similar to the shallow water worms that reach out, grab fish and pull them down.”
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jan/21/giant-worm-undersea-lair-discovered-fossil-hunters-taiwan
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