Fossils of giant 'terror beast' worms that topped the food chain 518 million years ago have been discovered in northern Greenland

Scientists have discovered a new fossilized animal along the farthest northern reaches of Greenland's coastline: a giant carnivorous worm that once stood at the top of the ancient ocean's food chain.

The researchers have given the worm – which can grow to more than 30 centimeters long – a name Timorbestiawhich means 'terror beasts' in Latin.

All in all there are thirteen copies of this 'terror' worm, Timorebestia kopriiwere identified, with some of the fossil remains preserved while the prey was still digesting in their stomachs.

Although small by the standards of today's ocean predators, TimorbestiaWith their long antennae, enormous jaw structures, and rows of fins running the length of their bodies, they were among some of the largest aquatic animals of the early Cambrian.

One paleobiologist described the terror worms as “a dynasty” that probably ruled for “about 10 to 15 million years.”

All in all, thirteen copies of the 'terror' worm, Timorebestia kopriiwere identified, some fossils were preserved while their prey was still digesting in their stomachs

Dr. Jakob Vinther, paleobiologist and co-author of the new 'terror worm' study, expressed the hope that the Timorbestia fossil discoveries will help scientists better understand the evolution of Earth's oceanic ecosystems.

The carnivorous worm appears to be related to a living species known as arrowworms or chaetognaths, which survived for more than 500 million years from the Cambrian to the present.

“These (arrowworms) are now much smaller ocean predators that feed on small zooplankton,” said Dr. Vinther in a statement from the University of Bristol, where he lectures on macroevolution, or evolution across entire taxonomic groups of species.

'Timorbestia were giants of their time and would have been near the top of the food chain,” noted Dr. Vinther op.

'That makes it equal in importance to some of the top carnivores in modern oceans, such as sharks and seals, in the Cambrian.'

“Our research shows that these ancient ocean ecosystems were quite complex,” said Dr. Vinther, 'with a food chain that allowed for different types of predators.'

Dr. Jakob Vinther (above), paleobiologist and co-author of the new study, expressed hope that the 'terror worm' Timorbestia and further fossil discoveries in Greenland will help scientists better understand the evolution of all of Earth's oceanic ecosystems

These new predator worm fossils are just the latest to turn up at the Sirius Passet fossil site in the early Cambrian of Greenland (pictured above), where fossilized brains of ancient marine predators and the remains of other bizarre creatures have been revealed in recent years.

These new predator worm fossils are just the latest to turn up at the early Cambrian Sirius Passet fossil site in northern Greenland, where fossilized brains of ancient marine predators and other bizarre creatures have been revealed in recent years.

Named after the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, which patrolled northern Greenland during World War II to protect the coasts from the Germans, the Sirius Passet is a sedimentary deposit of exceptionally well-preserved Cambrian fossils.

The site was first discovered in 1984 by Anthony K. Higgins of the Geological Survey of Greenland and has since drawn an international community of paleontologists, evolutionary biologists and more to the country's icy coastline.

About 10,000 specimens, from about 40 species, were found in the first two decades of exploring the Sirius Passet site, experts say have estimated.

“We are very pleased to have discovered such unique predators in Sirius Passet,” said study senior author Dr. Tae Yoon Park of the Korean Polar Research Institute.

“During a series of expeditions to the very remote Sirius Passet in the far reaches of northern Greenland, over 82.5 degrees north latitude, we have collected a wide variety of exciting new organisms,” said Dr. Park, a paleontologist who also served as field expedition leader of this mission.

“Our discovery confirms how arrowworms evolved,” said Dr. Park.

'Living arrowworms have a distinct nerve center on their abdomen, called a ventral ganglion. That is completely unique to these animals.'

'We found this preserved in Timorbestia and another fossil called Amiskwa', concluded the paleontologist and explorer.

The largest of the thirteen fossils of the 'terror worm' (left) was about 206 millimeters long. The research team used a high dynamic range (HDR) imaging technique to scan the specimens for their study, published this week in the journal Science Advances

'People have debated whether or not Amiskwa was closely related to arrowworms as part of their evolutionary lineage,” said Dr. Park.

'The preservation of this unique ventral ganglia gives us much more confidence in this hypothesis.'

The largest of the thirteen fossils of the 'terror worm' was about 206 millimeters long, with another 3.6 centimeters of 'well-defined antennae', wrote Drs. Park and his fellow researchers.

The team used one high dynamic range (HDR) imaging. technique to scan the samples for their research, published this week in the journal Scientific progress.

“Thanks to the remarkable, exceptional preservation in Sirius Passet,” noted Dr. Park on, “we can also reveal exciting anatomical details, including their digestive system, muscle anatomy and nervous system.”

It was precisely this well-preserved interior that helped the team make the link between these ancient and gigantic buildings Timorbestiathe Amiskwaand today's arrowworms.

Drs. Park, Vinther and their colleagues speculate about this Timorbestia may turn out to be one of the earliest carnivorous animals ever to evolve in Earth's oceans more than 518 million years ago, but the team is still working to identify more fossils found during their field expedition.

As they wrote in Science Advances, in addition to the thirteen terror worms, “five specimens of a currently undescribed chaetognath” were also discovered.

“We have many more exciting findings to share in the coming years that will help demonstrate what the earliest animal ecosystems looked like and evolved,” said Dr. Park.