They placed three dead crocodiles on the bottom of the sea (and discovered a new species)

A team of scientists placed three dead crocodiles in the Gulf of Mexico to carry out an experiment and unexpectedly discovered a new species.
Investigators wanted to know what the reaction of deep-sea dwellers would be when they came across an unusual food source.
Initially, scientists thought that the animals' hard skin would be difficult to tear and that the bodies would remain intact for a long time. But that's not what happened.
The scavengers began consuming the bodies of the crocodiles 43 hours after the team deposited the corpses at the bottom of the sea.
In fact, one of the reptiles was completely devoid of soft tissue 51 days after the beginning of the experiment.
Even so, what is most surprising is that scientists have detected a hitherto unknown species of the genus Osedax around the skeletons.
These are a group of bone-eating worms - and are even known as "zombie worms".
By comparing DNA samples from these animals with samples of genetic material from already known species of the same genus, the researchers confirmed that it was indeed a new species.
In addition to being the first time an Osedax has been seen in the Gulf of Mexico, this is also the first recorded example of worms that "chew" crocodile bones.