KMJS feature sparks discovery of ancient creature

Who would have thought that a creature that has eluded scientific study for generations would be discovered alive and well on a TV show?

A joint team of US and Filipino scientists made headlines around the world last April 17, when they published a study on a living specimen of the world's largest known species of shipworm, Kuphus polythamia. 

According to Dr. Gisela Concepcion, one of the researchers, scientists had long known about the creature because of its tubular shells but no living samples had ever been caught.

That is, until the team serendipitously stumbled upon a video of a live one that aired on GMA Network's own show, Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho (KMJS).

The episode in question, which aired in 2010, focused on the popular consumption of shipworms in the southern Philippines.

The delicacy is commonly served fresh, soaked in vinegar and slurped up like fresh oysters.

But if that wasn't exotic enough, the natives spoke of a kind of worm that grows to almost the size of a person.

KMJS managed to acquire some photos and footage of this worm, which the researchers then happened to chance upon on YouTube.

The KMJS documentary tipped the scientists off on where to find a creature which, though elusive to science, turned out to be a relatively common foodstuff in this part of the world.

But the story doesn't end there.

In response to global enthusiasm over the discovery, Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho interviewed the Filipino members of the team and went back to take a closer look at the giant shipworm, its habitat, and the culture surrounding it.

This exclusive KMJS follow-up story makes its worldwide premiere on Sunday, April 23, at 8:15 pm (Philippine Time) on GMA Channel 7. — AT, GMA News