Most marine animals form their shells from calcium carbonate, which is a tough mineral also found in limestone. Some sponges ...

Mollusks add daily to the margins of their shells, producing intricate patterns prized by beachcombers. Though this seems complex, the process can actually be explained by a simple network of nerve ...

The marketing pitch for Florida’s Sanibel and Captiva islands is “250 Kinds of Shells, 250 Miles of Bike Paths, 15 Miles of Beaches.” With shells getting the top billing over the islands’ many scenic ...

Beachcombers know that seashells appear in an endless array of colors and shapes, and researchers have just discovered that this variation extends to the molecular level. In fact, each shell is as ...

Researchers modeling the tough exteriors of two types of mollusk have finally figured out how seashells keep those soft, squishy insides safe. Thanks to the shape, stress is sent to the parts of the ...

Berkeley -- 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. He ...