BBC Nature - Bone-eating 'zombie' worms drill with acid
First discovered eating whale bones off Monterrey, CA in 2002, scientists now think they know how the worms work:
"The so-called "zombie worms" of the Osedax family are known to bore into bones and remove nutrients.
Fresh analysis of the root-like tissues the worms use to attach to bones has identified acid-secreting enzymes.
Until now scientists did not understand how the tiny creatures fed on bone, as they lack the body parts needed to "drill" physically."
Turns out they secrete acid and dissolve the bones. Sometimes nature is even weirder than science fiction.
First discovered eating whale bones off Monterrey, CA in 2002, scientists now think they know how the worms work:
"The so-called "zombie worms" of the Osedax family are known to bore into bones and remove nutrients.
Fresh analysis of the root-like tissues the worms use to attach to bones has identified acid-secreting enzymes.
Until now scientists did not understand how the tiny creatures fed on bone, as they lack the body parts needed to "drill" physically."
Turns out they secrete acid and dissolve the bones. Sometimes nature is even weirder than science fiction.
