Mollusks taste memories to build shells (w/Video)
University of California, Berkeley, graduate student Alistair Boettiger has amassed a beautiful collection of seashells, but not by combing the beach. He created them in his computer.
View ArticleInvasive mussels imperil western water system
(AP) -- Two years after an invasive mussel was first discovered at Lake Mead, the population has firmly established itself and gone on a breeding binge, with numbers soaring into the trillions.
View ArticleMexico's conch shells yield clues into effects of warming
Divers plumb the turquoise depths of ocean waters some 100 kilometers south of this vacation paradise, in search of the distinctive queen conch shell prized by vacationers and souvenir-seekers.
View ArticleArchaeological study shows human activity may have boosted shellfish size
In a counter-intuitive finding, new research from North Carolina State University shows that a species of shellfish widely consumed in the Pacific over the past 3,000 years has actually increased in...
View ArticleDeath of the 'Doughnut': How quaggas are casting a pall on the Lake Michigan...
(PhysOrg.com) -- Something has been eating Charlie Kerfoot's doughnut, and all fingers point to a European mollusk about the size of a fat lima bean.
View ArticleSynthetic materials that behave like mollusk shells
Nacre, commonly known as mother-of-pearl, is the iridescent material lining many mollusk shells. It is part of a two-layer armor system that protects the animal from predators. The brittle outer layer...
View ArticleEyes of rock let chitons see predators
Using eyes made of a calcium carbonate crystal, a simple mollusk may have evolved enough vision to spot potential predators, scientists say.
View ArticleMass extinction victim survives! Snail long thought extinct, isn't
(PhysOrg.com) -- Think "mass extinction" and you probably envision dinosaurs dropping dead in the long-ago past or exotic tropical creatures being wiped out when their rainforest habitats are...
View ArticleInvasive false brome grass is spreading, but Oregon's insects are biting
After hiking in Oregon, a University of Oregon plant biologist suggests, people may want to brush off their shoes and comb through their dogs in an effort to curb the spread of an invasive grass that...
View ArticleUnique structure of fist-like club of mantis shrimp could tranform body armor...
(Phys.org) -- Military body armor and vehicle and aircraft frames could be transformed by incorporating the unique structure of the club-like arm of a crustacean that looks like an armored caterpillar,...
View ArticleCT scan and 3-D print help scientists reconstruct an ancient mollusk (w/ Video)
(Phys.org)—Using a combination of traditional and innovative model-building techniques, scientists in the U.S. and a specialist in Denmark have created a lifelike reconstruction of an ancient mollusk,...
View ArticleNew test adds to scientists' understanding of Earth's history, resources
(Phys.org)—A new study co-authored by a University of Florida researcher provides the first direct chronological test of sequence stratigraphy, a powerful tool for exploring Earth's natural resources.
View ArticleBiologist gets a squid's eye view (w/ video)
(Phys.org) —Pursuing the misunderstood Humboldt squid, Hopkins Marine Station's William Gilly has strapped video cameras and electronic sensors to the animals, exhaustively analyzed their habitats,...
View ArticleVaterite: Crystal within a crystal helps resolve an old puzzle
With the help of a solitary sea squirt, scientists have resolved the longstanding puzzle of the crystal structure of vaterite, an enigmatic geologic mineral and biomineral.
View ArticleMelanin from Jurassic-era mollusk could lead to new tool for cancer diagnosis
(Phys.org) —In a world where things seem to change overnight, melanin seems to stay essentially the same for more than 160 million years, a new study has found. Melanin is the biological pigment that...
View ArticleShellfish show population growth did not send humans out of Africa
(Phys.org) —Artifacts from the Middle Stone Age, which lasted from about 200,000 to 50,000 years ago, provide us with the earliest glimpses of modern human art and culture. Previously, scientists...
View ArticleUnderwater propulsion from a 3-D printer
Nature inspires creativity: in building a silent propulsion system for boats and water sport devices, researchers used the octopus as their role model. The system can be produced at a low cost and in a...
View ArticleUnderwater propulsion from a 3D printer
Octopods, which are also known as octopuses or squid, are considered to be the most intelligent invertebrates. In fact, they have been referred to as the "sages of the sea". They are capable of...
View ArticleStudy: Seashell loss due to tourism increase may have global impact
Global tourism has increased fourfold over the last 30 years, resulting in human-induced seashell loss that may harm natural habitats worldwide, according to a University of Florida scientist.
View ArticleStudy indicates Spanish conquest of Peru may have resulted in changes to...
(Phys.org) —A study by a pair of researchers with the University of Maine suggests that the northern coast of Peru may have been altered due to population shifts as a result of the Spanish conquest in...
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