Worms Are World’s Most Influential Species
“They’re silent, slimy and wriggly, utterly devoid of personality and shaped so that you can’t even tell one end from the other – that’s what most people think about earthworms… Nothing, not even humans, can match the impact these noiseless digesters of the Earth have had on the history of planet, life and people. Worms are the ultimate survivors with a direct ancestry stretching back an epic 600 million years. That puts us in our place, since our human lineage manages only a paltry four million at a stretch. When they first appeared, at the bottom of the seas, wriggling worm-like bodies quickly became the generic design for all animal life… But to me, earthworms are the most extraordinary creatures ever to have lived. After an exhaustive 21/2 year study of 100 of life’s most successful species (from viruses and bacteria to fish, fungi, plants, insects, mammals and humans) I have come to the humble conclusion that, despite their lowly lifestyle, earthworms sit at the very top of the evolutionary tree.” w/ photos
