Subterranean Worms From Hell

Subterranean Worms From Hell

www.nature.com

The discovery of multicellular creatures from the deepest mines sounds like something from the pages of J. R. R. Tolkien. But scientists have now found four species of nematode, or roundworm, lurking in South Africa's gold mines at depths where only single-celled bacteria were thought to reside. And at least one of them, Halicephalobus mephisto, has never been described before.

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This gives new meaning to the descriptive term "worm" and
"where the sun does not shine".

And ....yuck just yuck.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/bbceccf9538b.jpg[/atsimg]

Residents of the deep earth, this gives me the willies...the worms munch on bacteria living in biofilms — "big, snot layers of gelatinous goo,".

The 0.5-millimetre-long H. mephisto, named in reference to the light-hating demon of the underworld, feeds on films of bacteria that grow more than a kilometre down within the warm walls of the Beatrix gold mine, located some 240 kilometres southwest of Johannesburg.

"H. mephisto"; the worm thrives at slightly above average body temperature, 37c.

"That depth? Those temperatures? This is incredible," says Diana Wall, a soil ecologist at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, who studies antarctic nematodes.

www.nature.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Probably a bad idea digging holes in the ground .Look at all the things we dig up ,most if not all of it is bad.Except maybe potatoe's and and other near surface dwelling vegetables etc

Poor worms, they were minding their own business and eating their slimy goo and someone had to snatch 'em up. One of these days, some well meaning scientist is going to yank something out of it's natural habitat and it's going to result in all kinds of consequences.

reply to post by burntheships


Worms from hell; haha With the name of your title its a deception!

The 0.5-millimetre-long H. mephisto, named in reference to the light-hating demon of the underworld, feeds on films of bacteria that grow more than a kilometre down within the warm walls of the Beatrix gold mine, located some 240 kilometres southwest of Johannesburg.

Their pipsqueaks!


I wonder if there are any more creatures living underneath the ground...

reply to post by 12voltz


Oh yes, lets just let the rest be a mystery. For some reason this made me think of that
strange old movie with Kevin Bacon and those giant worms in the desert.

Much more easy on the brain to think of potatos, and other nice root vegetables.

Originally posted by grumpydaysleeper
Poor worms, they were minding their own business and eating their slimy goo and someone had to snatch 'em up. One of these days, some well meaning scientist is going to yank something out of it's natural habitat and it's going to result in all kinds of consequences.

Yes, ok the name of the movie is Tremors.

Kevin Bacon, remember? They know, they just dont tell us!

reply to post by burntheships


I have a thing about worms...shiver...always have. It's a phobia. Whole reason I want to be cremated...don't put me in the ground with the worms!!

S & F

Really does make you wonder what else we haven't discovered yet.

reply to post by burntheships


Oh, and yes, Tremors is one of my fave movies of all time, oddly enough.

Wow isnt life everywhere,,, bursting out in all the places,, awesome,,,

This was posted on ATS yesterday. Good story though. Our biosphere is amazing, I wonder what these worms eat, I cant imagine much worm food down rhere..

Originally posted by TheUniverse
reply to post by burntheships

 

Worms from hell; haha With the name of your title its a deception!

The 0.5-millimetre-long H. mephisto, named in reference to the light-hating demon of the underworld, feeds on films of bacteria that grow more than a kilometre down within the warm walls of the Beatrix gold mine, located some 240 kilometres southwest of Johannesburg.

Their pipsqueaks!

I wonder if there are any more creatures living underneath the ground...

I guess the title; which they picked has something to do with the depth of the earth, and perhaps the
temperature ...rather than the size.

Honestly, if they had found really huge worms down there....well lets just say I am relieved they are small!

I was going to say they're very small. A Tremors scenario would be far worse. And its possible something larger than this is lurking in hidden subterranean area.

reply to post by burntheships


i Concur lol Giant worms underground sounds like something out of the movie Tremors. Scary thought.

What if?
What if they are small underground but....grow at a monsterous rate when brought topside?
Tremors

tremors rule

burt gummer is my hero the ultimate survivalist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i likes his "Rec room"


worms are nasty

worms that can eat me is bad

but when i die worms still eat me.

i cant win

Is this the Annonymous Prank that was promised? Sounds like, the article reads very weird:

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