Giant worms may have hidden beneath

the ancient seafloor to ambush prey

Trace fossils may be evidence of predatory behavior
similar to modern bobbit worms

Like modern bobbit worms, ancient worms may have dug holes in the seafloor to lie in wait
before attacking prey (illustrated), a new study suggests.
Y-Y. PAN ET AL./SCIENTIFIC REPORTS 2021
Share this:

 Facebook
 Twitter
 Reddit
 Google Classroom
 Email
 Print

By Helen Thompson

15 hours ago
Around 20 million years ago, giant ocean worms may have burrowed into the
seafloor and burst forth like the space slug from Star Wars to ambush
unsuspecting fish.

Ancient underground lairs left behind by these animals appear in rocks from

coastal Taiwan. Researchers report this January 21 in Scientific Reports. The
diggers may have been analogs of modern bobbit worms (Eunice aphroditois).
Those worms are known for burying themselves in sand to surprise and strike
their prey.

Explainer: How a fossil forms

The burrows are trace fossils. This type of fossil includes things such as
footprints and fossilized poop. They provide evidence of animal activity
preserved in the geologic record. The newly reported fossils were first spotted
in 2013. Masakazu Nara found them at Taiwan’s Badouzi promontory. Nara is
a paleontologist at Kochi University in Japan. More of these fossils turned up
later amid the otherworldly rock structures of Yehliu geopark. This is a popular
tourist attraction in Taiwan. It was once a shallow ocean ecosystem 20 million
to 22 million years ago.

From 319 fossil specimens, the team was able to reconstruct the burrows.
The animals drilled L-shaped paths into the seafloor. The burrow had a funnel
structure at the top. This structure looks like a feather in vertical cross
sections. The burrows were about 2 meters (6.5 feet) long and 2 to 3
centimeters (about an inch) wide.