120 Years in 120 Objects
Join the KwaZulu-Natal Museum in celebrating the museum’s 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!
Today’s Object is from 1920
The Eastern Cape giants (Proandricus skeadi) by Thembeka Nxele, Curator of Oligochaeta
The specimens of this species were collected by Dr Skead in 1920 while he was the director of what would become known in recent years as the Amathole Museum in King Williams Town. He made numerous observations on earthworms between 1958–1971 and most of his notes are a source of information for P. skeadi, hence it was named after him. This species is known from Debe Nek, King Williams Town and Stutterheim. This species is known for producing large casts, which could reach a height of 240 mm, which is accumulated over time. This species is amongst those that are responsible for the “earthworm mounds” observed around King Williams Town, which have changed the landscape of the area. Most people mistake these “mounds” as the termite mounds because of their size and unique structure. Many scholars have studied these “mounds” in order to understand why they are shaped and organized as they are. The notes from Dr Skead provide more insight on the ecology of these earthworms and partly explain the formation of the “mounds”.
Notes selected from the original Dr Skead’s notes.
