WASHINGTON: A new study has shed new light on the nature of ‘zombie worms’ — bone-eating creatures that were thought to have evolved alongside whales.
Researchers at the University of Plymouth have discovered the worms — called Osedax — date back to prehistoric times when they fed on the carcasses of massive marine reptiles.
It’s believed these ‘zombie worms’ evolved at least 100 million years ago and dined on the bones of the plesiosarus and sea turtles.
The Osedax was first discovered in 2002, and the genus can still be found in numerous oceans.
Today, the scavengers feed on the bones of dead whales and have been known to devour entire carcasses.
Researchers found traces of prehistoric Osedax on pelsiosaur fossils held at the University of Cambridge.
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