Higgs Nicholas D, Glover Adrian G, Dahlgren Thomas G, Little Crispin T S
School of Earth & Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Biol Bull. 2011 Dec;221(3):307-16. doi: 10.1086/BBLv221n3p307.
Osedax worms possess unique "root" tissues that they use to bore into bones on the seafloor, but details of the boring pattern and processes are poorly understood. Here we use X-ray micro-computed tomography to investigate the borings of Osedax mucofloris in bones of the minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), quantitatively detailing their morphological characteristics for the first time. Comparative thin-sections of the borings reveal how the bone is eroded at the sub-millimeter level. On the basis of these results we hypothesize a model of boring that is dependent on the density and microstructure of the bone. We also present evidence of acidic mucopolysaccharides in the mucus of the root tissue, and hypothesize that this plays an important role in the boring mechanism. We discuss the utility of these new data in evaluating Osedax trace fossils and their relevance for O. mucofloris ecology. Measured rates of bone erosion (6% per year) and evidence of enhanced sulfide release from the borings indicate that Osedax worms are important habitat modifiers in whale-fall communities.
食骨蠕虫拥有独特的“根”组织，它们利用这些组织钻入海底的骨骼中，但钻孔模式和过程的细节却鲜为人知。在这里，我们使用X射线显微计算机断层扫描技术来研究多毛食骨蠕虫在小须鲸（Balaenoptera acutorostrata）骨骼中的钻孔情况，首次定量详细描述了它们的形态特征。钻孔的对比薄片揭示了骨骼在亚毫米水平上是如何被侵蚀的。基于这些结果，我们假设了一个依赖于骨骼密度和微观结构的钻孔模型。我们还展示了根组织黏液中酸性黏多糖的证据，并推测这在钻孔机制中起重要作用。我们讨论了这些新数据在评估食骨蠕虫痕迹化石中的作用及其与多毛食骨蠕虫生态学的相关性。测量的骨骼侵蚀速率（每年6%）以及钻孔中硫化物释放增加的证据表明，食骨蠕虫是鲸落群落中重要的栖息地改造者。
