The Funky Worm

The Funky Worm. . Most people have never heard of a caecilian, but they are one of the most fascinating groups of animals alive today. They are one of the living groups of amphibians along with frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts. Caecilians spend nearly all their lives underground or in the leaf litter of tropical forests in central South America, Africa and Asia. Modern caecilians are limbless, most are eyeless and they have double rows of teeth in their upper and lower jaws that help them catch worms and insects. Like all modern land-dwelling animal groups, caecilians have a fossil record dating back to the Triassic Period, and the geologically oldest caecilian was discovered right here at Petrified Forest, several miles northeast of Blue Mesa. Park paleontologists found nearly 100 tiny lower jaws with a double row of teeth and were able to determine that this Triassic caecilian not only had legs but also prominent eyes. Tiny fossils like these are found by collecting bulk sediment, soaking 5-pound batches in water, screening them through fine wire mesh, and picking out the bones using tweezers under a microscope. This process of collecting what are called microvertebrate fossils is extremely important for understanding the fossil record of small-bodied animals that might otherwise not be found – like Funcusvermis gilmorei. , What's in a Name? , The name Funcusvermis refers to the hit 1973 song “Funky Worm” by The Ohio Players, because caecilians are worm shaped. The song is one of the most sampled songs in history and is featured in many popular hip-hop songs. Park paleontologists played “Funky Worm” every day while collecting remains of Funcusvermis for good luck. , Captions (left to right) , . The Ohio Players , . 20:1 scale cast of the found jaw bone(s) , . The paleontology crew working at the bone layer in 2019