The new T. rex: A leech with an affinity for noses
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - 16:15
in Paleontology & Archaeology
A new leech species with ferociously large teeth -- recently discovered in noses of children that swam in Peruvian rivers -- is providing insight into the evolutionary relationships among all the leeches that have an affinity for mucus membranes and orifices. Tyrannobdella rex was discovered in the remote Upper Amazon; its regular host remains unknown.