120 Years in 120 Objects
Join the KwaZulu-Natal Museum in celebrating the museumโs 120th year of orbiting the sun. Staff and guest curators have chosen one object or item per year of our existence to highlight to the public. Visit the website and our social media platforms regularly to see the latest object and keep an eye out for information about a physical exhibition later this year!
Todayโs Object is from 1998
Hamerโs Earthworm (Kazimierzus hamerae) by Thembeka Nxele, Curator of Oligochaeta
This earthworm species occurs in the western and south-western coastal Atlantic area of South Africa. It is unique by having a single dorsal blood vessel, unlike the other indigenous species that have double in some pre-clitella segments. This indicates that the group is evolutionarily primitive, showing that they have lived unchanged for millions of years. Often, this lack of change shows that intense selection pressure is being applied, as is the case in the arid west of South Africa. Kazimierzus hamerae was designated a type species when a new genus (Kazimierzus) was erected for species that occur in this region. The type species differs from a type specimen in that it is a broader concept and is used to show relationships rather than differences. This species occurs in a winter rainfall area which is associated with the western escarpment and the adjacent Namaqualand, bordering the Atlantic seaboard. This area is known for high endemism of invertebrate fauna, and highly diverse flora, also indicative of the harsh environment. Earthworms from this area also show high levels of endemism, for example, K. hamerae is known only from one locality. The species is named after Professor Michelle Hamer, who collected the specimens while she worked at the KwaZulu-Natal Museum.
