SCORCHY SMITH
HALF ACRE CASTLE |
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( I'M DRYING
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Worm Indicates
Asia, N. America
Once Were Joined
WASHINGTON OP)—The Smith
sonian Institution announced yes
terday the discovery of tiny
“planarian” worms in Alaska—
new evidence that the land mass
es of Asia and North America
were joined many centuries ago.
The Smithsonian said the plan
arians, “fantastic creatures” that
are “among earth’s most primitive
animals,” were discovered by Dr.
Roman Kenk on a recent mission
to Alaska.
Dr. Kenk concluded that his
discovery indicates Asia and
North America were once joined
together, since up to now fresh
water planarians of this general
type have been found only in Si
beria.
He said his work established the
fact that planarians crossed be
tween Siberia and Alaska during
the Ice Age, although it is not
known which way they traveled.
Dr. Kenk concluded also that
most of Alaska must have been
free of ice during the Ice Age,
when glaciers covered most of the
southern half of North America.
The Smithsonian said planari
ans “are without a body cavity,
able to break up at will into
scores of pieces, each of which
regenerates into a new worm.
They overpower their prey by
wrapping their slimy bodies
around it.”
From an evolutionary stand
point, the Smithsonian said, plan
arians presumably “represent the
beginning of animal vision.”
Planarians often have many
eyes. One tropical land species
has been described as having a
thousand eyes. But Dr. Kenk
found two species in Alaska that
had only two eyes and some
which had no eyes at all.
PAT HERVEY MAKING
FACT-GATHERING TRIP
Pat Hervey of Beverly Hills on
her first trip to the territory is
collecting material for Guide to
Alaska, 10th Edition, the out
standing publication on facts for
travelers coming to Alaska pub
lished each year by Lou Jacobin.
Nome Directory
J
NOME ROTARY CLUB
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