[evan_au (OP)]

On a recent Naked Scientists podcast, there was an interview about eating "naked clams", otherwise known as shipworms.

Chris asked when these evolved, given that long-distance sea voyages have really only taken off since around the year 1500.
- In Townsville I saw an example of the steps taken in the 1700s to prevent shipworm damage: cover the entire hull with copper.

I have recently visited the Australian Dinosaur Trail, in central Queensland.

The area where Richmond is now located was once under an inland sea, and they have many marine fossils. Most of the local fossils on display were dated at around 100 million years ago.
- One of the fossils on display at Kronosaurus Korner is a log, which had apparently been washed away and floated out to sea, before sinking and becoming fossilised
- This log shows signs of severe infestation with shipworm
- So I guess the shipworms have been around as long as there have been floating logs to digest.

https://www.kronosauruskorner.com.au/

Shipworm_fossil.png (610.74 kB . 714x479 - viewed 138 times)

Shipworm_caption.png (761.54 kB . 830x497 - viewed 137 times)

[Petrochemicals]

Indeed evan, floating logs are a danger, night time running can be hazardous especially in areas like the west coast of north america and not advisable. The logs are big there, you may even get a giant redwood
yj87xjt42vh31.jpg (613.41 kB . 2048x1365 - viewed 113 times)

[chris]

Thanks for that nice bit of history, Evan.

In the interview, David Willer does say that most of the shipworm / naked clam activity is centred on mangroves, which is presumably their evoluntionary niche, together with any bits of wood that washed out to sea. We just provided them with an even more attractive mobile campsite when we built boats.

I'd also hazard a guess that the woods used for ships are possibly more susceptible than evolved marine species like mangroves, which will have developed some element of resistance, rather like native Australian terrestrial trees have evovled ways to fend off termites and other wood-boring nasties.

[chris]

I just read the piece from the placard that says Columbus infested Europe by bringing the pests back with him aboard his surviving vessels.

This seems unlikely to me. Surely a log or two must have made it across the Atlantic to Europe from time to time?