Self-Assemblage and Quorum in the Earthworm Eisenia fetida
The deluge that flooded parts of Texas over the past week created a strange sight on a patch of the state’s highways: clumps of worms along the center line. Thousands of worms, initially mistaken for discarded spaghetti, were found in Eisenhower State Park in Denison, Texas.
An ABC News article explained, “The piles in the middle of Eisenhower State Park were actually worms, Park Superintendent Ben Herman told ABC News. Rangers were checking the back roads of the park in Denison, Texas, found on May 29 when they found the piles lined up in a near-perfect straight line. “We’re still puzzled why they decided to line up in the middle of the road,” Herman said. “Even our biologist doesn’t know why they’re spaced so well and in the line.”
Unexplained Mysteries of 2014 and Into 2015
The fact that the worms came out of the ground isn’t a mystery: They can drown in rain-saturated soil. But why did they migrate to the center line on the road, and why did they appear in dozens of discrete, round clumps? The incident left many scratching their heads. What was it? Some unknown force of nature? A worm flash mob?
More: Mysterious Clumps of Worms Line Texas Highways : Discovery News