What on Earth Was Hallucigenia?

Sometimes the fossil record turns up some very strange things - creatures with such alien anatomy that they baffle researchers for decades. This was the case with Hallucigenia, an incredible organism that lived in the Cambrian.

Music by Geographer

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#WormWeek

[epicohuman]

My friend asked why Im so fascinated in this worm, since theres nothing special about it. I told him that its already special, because it was born into this world

[KyoushaPumpItUp]

Fun fact: the Hallucigenia couldn't move backwards. It could only move forward until all its enemies were destroyed.

[potatotoroo]

Fun fact: Although declared extinct, recent studies have shown that it is still possible to find this creature under the tree.

[SparksProduction]

You forgot to mention that scientists speculate this creature would often find itself get stuck in lakes hidden underneath massive trees.

[mr.koalaking]

Fun fact: The Hallucigenia rewrote our memories to percieve it as a normal creature.

[rishabsengupta]

I just love how every educational video about Hallucigenia online is being inundated with comments about titans and genocide.

[sgn]

Imagine being a AOT fan and seeing it in real life without knowing that it's a real living organism

[justcinuy]

Fun fact: On that day, when Hallucigenia discovered, mankind received a grim reminder.

[thepaintingbanjo]

I know that wormy thing! One took control of a little injured slave girl inside a tree and it gave her omniscient power to change a bunch of humans into man-eating titans.

[Ideophagous]

Early studies of Hallucigenia hint to an uncanny skill in navigating the ancient Cambrian seas, suggesting that it may possess a mysterious "Coordinate" ability.

[Emerald]

Thanks for the information mate! I was just runnin from hunters because I released some pigs and this thing attached to my back. Now I know what it is! Thanks man!

[melskunk]

Hallucigenia is really the most fun way to introduce people to how wild trying to reconstruct cambrian monsters is. Like we just have no idea so often what's going on with any of them. I love it

[ErwinSmith]

Such an amazing creature. I hope it wouldn't create such destruction like the "Titan War"

[divaalfirman]

If you looks *really* closely at it spikes, you can find some guys in omnidirectional mobility gear fighting against some weird creatures, one of which looks like a giant monkey.

[xzznnn]

The thing that keeps moving forwards, despite all its legs, it's unable to move sideways, or backwards; it can only move forwards, until it's enemies are destroyed. I wonder what would happen if we attach the origin to all life to someone's spine? Someone should make a story about that, for mikasa, for armin, and for everyone else. Maybe they already have? I don't know whose memories are these.

[jackdavids]

There’s a theory that Hallucegina is the reason we have birds

[Masaki_]

2, 000 years ago, the last hallucigenia was desperate to survive, she met a little girl named, Ymir, who had the same desire to survive, they both came together and became the most powerful being the world has ever seen. And as I know from all this? Because I was born into this world.

[kingtorra]

What an interesting creature, surviving in such a strange environment in its time, even the inside of a giant tree.

[Reyma]

A 10 meter tall Hallucigenia would be the prefect alien harvester unit. The colossal Hallucigenia would effortlessly stride over terrain and buildings while entrapping humans with its tentacles.

[ohmnesia]

"To the boy who sought freedom... Goodbye."