It belongs to the family of worms Nereididae, which has 500 species, at most marine, grouped into 42 genera and one of these is the sandworm, Alitta Virens, or…Shalai Hulud.
A team of researchers led by geologist Julien Kimmig from the Karlsruhe Natural History Museum has recently made a fascinating discovery: fossils of an ancient worm that lived approximately 500 million years ago. These organisms, covered in stiff bristles reminiscent of the enormous creatures from the planet Dune, are much smaller, measuring only a few centimeters in length.
Published in the journal Historical Biology, the fossils have been identified as belonging to a new species called Shaihuludia shurikeni. The name is inspired by Frank Herbert’s literary series Dune, where “Shai-Hulud” is the term used to refer to the gigantic worms of Arrakis. These worms thrived during the Cambrian period, a time characterized by extraordinary evolutionary diversity.
The fossils reveal an era of unique life forms, many of which have since disappeared, while others evolved into species we recognize today, such as arthropods. The newly identified segmented worm, less than ten centimeters long, is covered in chaetae, or stiff bristles. The fossils, discovered at the Spence Shale site in the United States, exhibit characteristics that, after thorough analysis, confirmed the existence of this new species. The name Shaihuludia shurikeni not only pays homage to the world of Dune; “shuriken” refers to Japanese throwing blades, evoking the sharp shape of the bristles. Kimmig emphasized the significance of this annelid, stating, “Shaihuludia shurikeni is particularly interesting due to its impressive chaetae, which make it unique among Cambrian annelids.” He also noted that the preservation of the fossil is remarkable, as most of the soft tissues remain as a “blob” of iron oxide, suggesting that the animal died and decomposed for some time before being fossilized.
The Alitta Virens
Alitta virens is not only a fascinating sandworm, but also a witness to the complexity of marine life and its evolution over the millennia.
Its prehistoric history and unique characteristics make it a subject of great interest for scientists and marine biology enthusiasts.
