Scientists have discovered a new species of an extinct primordial giant worm. These worms have terrifying snapping jaws and were found some 400 million years ago.
Researchers studied the relic which remained untouched for more than two decades at the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada and found the remains of the giant extinct bristle worm.
This new species is rare among fossil worms and have the largest jaws ever recorded in this type of creature, about one centimeter in length and easily visible to the naked eye.
Not just having the largest jaws, this animal also has a body length more than a meter.
This is comparable to that of giant eunicid or Bobbit worms which are terrifying and opportunistic ambush predators. These worms use their jaws to capture prey.
Gigantism in animals is believed to be an alluring and ecologically important trait, which is considered as an advantage and competitive dominance.
The new species determines a one of a kind instance of polychaete gigantism in the Palaeozoic, approximately 400 million years back.
The samples were collected in 1994. These specimens were brought back to the Royal Ontario Museum, where they have been stored till now. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
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