Omaha daily bee., 1911-09-24
WORMS MILLION YEARS OLD
Washington Scientist Finds Them in
British Columbia Rocks.
LIKE TADPo1Es IN APPEARANCE
Have Been Discovered and the
Latest Find f. nm I'm
pOrtant One

DR. Charles .. wolcott secretary OF
the Smithsonian institution at Washing
ton. is the author Of recently published
paper on the fossil worms of British
Columbia. based upon specimens collected
during Investigations commenced in that
part of Canada years ago The paper IL
entitled Middle Cambrian Annelids'--
which IN plain English means the worms
of both the earth and sea from one Of
the oldest periods OF geologic time. Not
all worms resemble the plain homely
angle worm or rain worm but many
of them Twins in the sea are covered with
long and beautiful iridescent hairs. some
with scales like fishes and still others
1.-Two concealed in tubes from which pro-
trude long frills Of brilliantly colored
tentacles.
While the average reader may imagine
worms not especially useful except as
aids to the gardener in loosening the soil,
as bait for the disciples of Isaac Walton,
or to enable the early bird to break his
fast; in geology they have an important
part and enable the scientific student to
estimate time and TO study the condi-
lions Of life in the past ages In the
paper. Dr.. Wolcott makes his first report
on the annelids of British Columbia. AS
a rule these worms have been known
only by their trails and borings in the
mud and sand deposits in the various
periods of geologic time Very few Of
the actual animals have ever been pre-
served the most noted discoveries being
those in Bavaria and Monte Bolca. In
fact DR.. Wolcott searched for several
years for such fossils in the shales of
British Columbia but not one of these
animals was found until the summer of
1910 when he came across them in the
form of mudstone called by biologists
Burgess shale These worms and other
fossils are pressed flat so that the animal
is represented by only a thin film which
is fortunately darker than the snale OF
rock. and being unusually shiny is thus
distinguishable Even the fine details Of
structure are shown and often the con-
fonts Of these animals appears as glis-
tening sllvery substance.
Despite the fact that these animals
are all worms or leeches, the forms vary
greatly; some are truly wornl-hke. with
varying wings or segments others have
nearly the appearance of tadpoles with
heads, tails and fins, some have tubular
construction and tentacles, while others
with feathery spines or scales as exposed
in the rocks present the petal-like ap-
pearance of a chrysanthemum. The diff
ferent forms of the annelids as well as
their external and internal characters
tics are clearly shown by six plates made
from photographs of the actual fossils
-, taA Hraf he
description includes several new families
and genera. together with eighteen new
species, covering a most exhaustive list
Of specimens taken from points along the
Canadian Pacific railroad, near Burgess
Pass and Field. British Columbia. Nearly
ali the specimens come from the Burgess
shcle. $500 feet above Field, or about
$500 above sea level.
DR.. WoIcotts researches relate to
naleontology which IL the historical
branch of geology and covers the collec-
ton and study OF animals and plants
found fossilized in rock, The object OF
this science is TO unfold the past history
of our world as it is thus revealed to us
by the remains of ancient life imbedded
in the layers of the earth's crust DR.
Wolcott shows a new point of view 1:
opened by the study of the annelids OF
fossil worms; the fact that from one To-
cality eleven genera belonging to widely
different families we're found, indicates
that the fundamental characteristics OF
al the classes were developed prior to the
middle Cambrian period, which is the old
est in the paleozoic era, and Is known u
scientists as the age OF invertebrates.
1t is absurd TO venture statement Of
the age of these animals but knowins
that they belonged to the middle Cam
brian period, we can estimate an age Of
many million years-a great age for any
specimen-but nature has preserved then
so we'll that biologists are now able e
compare them with the life prevailing
today.
In the annelid paper the scientific
names. descriptions and life histories o
these ancient worms are given, an thos'
interested in such a technical treads'
will find much desirable information II
this pamphlet which is publication No
aOl4 Of the Smithsonian miscellaneou
collections