More than 20 million years ago, off the coast of what is now northern Taiwan, a marine creature tunneled vertically in the seafloor sand, then veered to the side. Every now and then, the animal—probably a skinny, sprawling, ancient worm—jutted its head above the sediment, snatched some prey, and dragged the unwitting morsel into its warren. Presumably, the creature feasted again and again, until it eventually died. When it did, its body wasn’t preserved—water, time, and predators can all be cruel to soft tissues. Though its body has vanished, scientists…
