Toothy ‘Grin’ And Funky Walk Of Bizarre Hallucigenia Worm Makes Scientists Swoon [Video]
The crazy countenance of the prehistoric Hallucigenia worm probably wouldn’t garner many admirers via online dating sites, but scientists can’t get enough of the tiny beast’s smile. ABC Science reports that scientists have finally made a breakthrough in efforts to flesh out the anatomy of the extinct marine creature after decades of work.
Oddly enough, a watershed moment came when scientists realized that they had long mistaken the worm’s backside for its head. After determining which direction was which, they could finally tell whether Hallucigenia was coming or going.
“Prior to our study, a large balloon-like orb at one end of the specimen had been interpreted as an amorphous head,” said Martin Smith of the University of Cambridge in comments published by ABC Science. “We can now demonstrate that this actually wasn’t part of the body at all but a dark stain representing decay fluids or gut contents that oozed out of the anus as the animal was compressed during burial,” says Smith.
The final piece in the puzzle fell into place when fossilized remains were placed in an electron microscope, revealing what Smith described as eyes and a “cheeky grin,” full of teeth smiling back at him. Indeed, the worm appears to have a ring of teeth in its mouth along with a lining of thin, pointy teeth in its throat.
Misperceptions regarding the respective locations of the 508 million year-old animal’s hindquarters and crown have lingered since the 1970s. Part of the confusion stems from the worm’s diminutive size, as it only stretched a few centimeters in length. Nevertheless, scientists have long been amazed by its offbeat appearance.
New Scientist recounts a tale by the late Stephen Jay Gould about how the spiky, many-legged Hallucigenia received its distinctive name. Dr. Gould said that the name was coined by paleontologist Simon Conway Morris, who said that the worm reminded him of something he’d seen on a trip – “and I don’t mean to Boston,” he added.
It’s not exactly in the same league of discovering life on other planets, but University of Cambridge scientists note that their recent work might help to better understand certain types of arthropods, worms, and other moulting animals. At the very least, however, Hallucigenia would also make for a great, nightmarish character in a forthcoming Tim Burton film or as a new wacky neighbor for Spongebob Squarepants down in Bikini Bottom.
[Image by Danielle Dufault via ABC Science]
