Earth used to have a 10-meter-long worm

Scientists have found evidence of the existence of a giant worm up to 10 meters long from prehistoric times in the coastal city of Torbay, southwestern England.

Velvet worms, one of the ancient living creatures on earth.Photo: fed.us.

Experts of the Riviera Geopark in England found many underground tunnels near the coastal city of Torbay. They are widely distributed in sediments in the river bed or dry valley. After reviewing, they thought that these tunnels were created by worms with an average length of 10 meters and a diameter of more than 15 cm. They lived at least 260 million years ago.

Geologist Dr. Kevin Page, a Plymouth University paleontologist, said the discovery of huge tunnels was an unprecedented event in science. 'This finding is very unusual. Large tunnels appear everywhere in a wide area. There is no evidence that they are created by an organism that humans have known. These holes were created during the Great Paleozoic period, ie before dinosaurs appeared on earth. "

According to Page, prehistoric giant worms mainly live underground. They just rise up when eating and breathing. The most ancient species of worms still alive today is velvet worms (Velvet Worm), but their average body length is only 15 cm. Velvet worms live in tropical and subtropical forests. Considered a link between burning worms and arthropods, velvet worms are the only worms that have legs.

Velvet worms belong to a group of slow moving worms, their feet are hollow and filled with solid liquid. The worm has not changed for the past 360 million years, except that their skin color fades to camouflage better.