Ancient Sea Worms Lived in Tube-Like Houses

[Still Waters]

A new look at fossils thought to have originated in a type of seaweed revealed something completely different: The "seaweed" was actually a perforated tube, a home of sorts for an ancient sea worm.

In a new study published in the journal BMC Biology, Canadian and U.K. researchers say the worm, a creature called Oesia, used the tube-like structures for protection from predators and as a home base for filter feeding.

The tubes were a bit like small underground chimneys, the researchers say, and Oesia sought refuge in them some 500 million years ago.

http://www.seeker.com/ancient-sea-worms-lived-in-tube-like-houses-1909047718.html

[Claire.]

What clever little things.

[Likely Guy]

6 hours ago, Clair said:

What clever little things.

They still do it today in hydrothermic vents. Giant tube worms: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_tube_worm

[SHaYap]

I wonder what's the lease on one of those things would cost ...