Velvet Worms
by Owen Omid Borville
January 15, 2020
Biology, Bible
Velvet worms are unique creatures that are part of a special creation during Creation Week some 6,000 years ago.
Velvet worms are soft-bodied organisms classified with the onychophoran group. Its sensory set of antennae aid in movement, alson with small eyes on its head.
The two-inch long velvet worm has a somewhat flat, segmented, cylinder shaped body with a set of antennae on its head and is found in tropical regions, South America, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Velvet worms can have between one dozen to more than three dozen legs depending on its length. With an average length of two inches, the size of a velvet worm can vary.
Known for their velvety, water-proof skin, velvet worms have multiple short feet, each of which has claws.
The velvet worm exerts sticky slime from near its mouth as a defense mechanism and to capture food in the form of insects. This is a unique behavior that intrigues the scientific community. The velvet worm also uses its jaws to capture and consume its food.
The velvet worm has been compared to the caterpillar but is not classified with these. The velvet worm is a rare species that has an uncertain ancestry, according to mainstream scientists.
Their soft, flexible bodies allow for entrance inside small cavities in moist environments.
Velvet worms can dehydrate and need moist environments and high humidity to survive, such as in logs, under stones, soil, or leaves. Velvet worms breath through small holes scattered throughout their body. These holes cannot be closed and therefore the velvet worm must live in a moist environment to avoid drying out.
The velvet worm is believed to be related to the arthropod group, but its evolutionary history is uncertain. Despite similarities to the arthropod group, the velvet worm is different enough to be classified in a separate group. The soft body is more like that of the worms and therefore the velvet worms and their ancestry are difficult to classify. Velvet worms do not have a hard exoskeleton like arthropods. Despite similarities to worms, insects, millipedes, centipedes, and slugs, a velvet worm is none of these and does not fit into any of these categories, deepening the mystery of these creatures.
Velvet worms are found with Cambrian fossil assemblages and therefore mainstream scientists believe that these are about 500 million years old, including fossilized velvet worms found in the Burgess Shale in Canada and the Chengjiang formation in China. Fossilized velvet worms have been found in amber samples believed to be over 100 million years old. However, an organism that has not changed in 500 million years seems to not be a product of evolution but of a Special Creation just 6,000 thousand years ago.
by Owen Omid Borville
January 15, 2020
Biology, Bible
Velvet worms are unique creatures that are part of a special creation during Creation Week some 6,000 years ago.
Velvet worms are soft-bodied organisms classified with the onychophoran group. Its sensory set of antennae aid in movement, alson with small eyes on its head.
The two-inch long velvet worm has a somewhat flat, segmented, cylinder shaped body with a set of antennae on its head and is found in tropical regions, South America, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Velvet worms can have between one dozen to more than three dozen legs depending on its length. With an average length of two inches, the size of a velvet worm can vary.
Known for their velvety, water-proof skin, velvet worms have multiple short feet, each of which has claws.
The velvet worm exerts sticky slime from near its mouth as a defense mechanism and to capture food in the form of insects. This is a unique behavior that intrigues the scientific community. The velvet worm also uses its jaws to capture and consume its food.
The velvet worm has been compared to the caterpillar but is not classified with these. The velvet worm is a rare species that has an uncertain ancestry, according to mainstream scientists.
Their soft, flexible bodies allow for entrance inside small cavities in moist environments.
Velvet worms can dehydrate and need moist environments and high humidity to survive, such as in logs, under stones, soil, or leaves. Velvet worms breath through small holes scattered throughout their body. These holes cannot be closed and therefore the velvet worm must live in a moist environment to avoid drying out.
The velvet worm is believed to be related to the arthropod group, but its evolutionary history is uncertain. Despite similarities to the arthropod group, the velvet worm is different enough to be classified in a separate group. The soft body is more like that of the worms and therefore the velvet worms and their ancestry are difficult to classify. Velvet worms do not have a hard exoskeleton like arthropods. Despite similarities to worms, insects, millipedes, centipedes, and slugs, a velvet worm is none of these and does not fit into any of these categories, deepening the mystery of these creatures.
Velvet worms are found with Cambrian fossil assemblages and therefore mainstream scientists believe that these are about 500 million years old, including fossilized velvet worms found in the Burgess Shale in Canada and the Chengjiang formation in China. Fossilized velvet worms have been found in amber samples believed to be over 100 million years old. However, an organism that has not changed in 500 million years seems to not be a product of evolution but of a Special Creation just 6,000 thousand years ago.
