Flatworms are a very unique species. They pretty much live everywhere. This includes the ocean, in freshwater, on land, and even inside other organisms. They have existed for a long time. Them being the first organism to hunt shows how old they are. That's not the only "first" they are either. They were also the first species to develop a central nervous system, and a head with a brain. No way they can be "first" in anything else, right? Nah. These little guys also were the first species to have a bilateral body. Also, they were the first to have eyes on their head. And you can add first to use internal fertilization to the list.
After reading all off this, I was pretty surprised that a species could have so many unique characteristics. Then I read that flatworms were hermaphrodites (they are both male and female). I am convinced that flatworms are the most interesting organisms to ever exist.
"Flatworms: The First Hunter." The Shape of Life | The Story of the Animal Kingdom. N.p., 19 May 2016. Web. 15 June 2017.
This article sounds very interesting. I have never heard of the flatworm. Its very interesting that the flatworm can live in all of these different locations. Its also very interesting that they are the very first species to have a nervous system without having a head but having a brain. I have never heard of hermaphrodites. I did not even realize that was a thing. This article and the flatworm sound very interesting.
ReplyDeleteWhen flatworms live inside other organisms, do they help the host organism or hurt? I know that there are relationships of this kind that help, such as symbiosis and mutualism, but also instances where a parasite hurts a host and could kill it.
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