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A snail with a Picasso-like shell is among 46 dazzling new species recently identified in Southeast Asia. Their discovery highlights both nature’s hidden artistry and the urgent threat of habitat destruction. Credit: Artistic enhancement of photos by Gojšina et al. A tiny snail with a cubist-style shell, named after Picasso, sheds light on undiscovered biodiversity and growing habitat loss in Southeast Asia. They say beauty is everywhere, if we have eyes to see. For one team of scientists, it revealed itself in a tiny, 3-millimeter snail. While surveying snail biodiversity in Southeast Asia, an international team of malacologists, scientists who...

A new study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution lifts the veil on what happens when octopuses and fish hunt together. As it turns out, this cross-species relationship is more complex than anyone expected. Animals of the same species often cooperate—work together to reach some kind of goal. But it's relatively rare to find cooperation between individuals from different species. A classic example you'll be familiar with is the close relationship between dogs and humans, whether in the context of herding sheep or hunting. In these situations, the dog and the human work together to achieve a goal. That's mammals....

A quahog clam found at Florida's Alligator Point was determined by researchers to be about 214 years old. Photo courtesy of the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab/Facebook Feb. 27 (UPI) -- A 2.6-pound quahog claim that made a rare visit to the Florida coast is believed by researchers to be 214 years old. Blaine Parker said he was collecting shellfish to make chowder at Alligator Point, on St. James Island in Franklin County when he found the gigantic quahog clam, an Atlantic species found most often north of North Carolina. "We were just going to eat it, but we thought about...

On a rainy afternoon in April, Union Square Park was, as is often the case, home to a band of protesters. This time, the cause was not inequality or political oppression, it was a mollusk — an octopus to be precise. Protesters held signs reading “let’s stop this cruelty” and “#stopoctopusfarm” beneath images of the leggy creature. Amidst rising demand for the tentacled delight, Spanish company Nueva Pescanova has announced that it will open the world’s first octopus farm in 2023. But the plan is mired in controversy with environmentalists, zoologists and animal lovers decrying that it would be a...

When researchers discover fossils of species that are new to science it’s only natural that they attempt to find a place for them in the colossal tree of life, matching them up with related species that may even exist today. A newly-discovered species of ancient creature is pushing that practice to its absolute limit. Tiny fossils discovered in both Colombia and the United States reveal the existence of a pint-sized marine animal that lived some 90 million years ago. It’s being called a crab, but the researchers who discovered it are quick to point out how dramatically different it is...

Alaska Wildlife Troopers ran a widespread bust targeting illegal clam diggers on Kenai Peninsula beaches over Memorial Day weekend, citing at least 22 people for misconduct with mollusks. Unusually low tides, the holiday weekend and the irresistible lure of fresh clams drew hundreds of mud-diggers to Kenai Peninsula beaches over the three-day weekend. Soldotna wildlife trooper Sgt. Paul McConnell said the law was out in full force to watch. Violations included taking undersized or too many clams and clamming without a fishing license. "It was good timing as far as a three-day weekend, people kind of head down there anyway...

State wildlife officials say a destructive species known as the zebra mussel has been discovered in California for the first time. Department of Fish and Game spokeswoman Alexia Retallack says a fisherman found the mollusks while fishing in the San Justo Reservoir in San Benito County. Lab tests conducted Monday confirmed that the creatures were zebra mussels, which are known to clog water pipes and boat engines and alter the chemistry of marine ecosystems. State officials plan to conduct further surveys to determine the extent of the infestation and develop a plan to stop its spread. They're asking fishermen and...

Mollusk fossils push back evolution, ROM scientists say Life 560 million years ago more advanced than previously believed, article says. Two Canadian paleontologists have discovered dozens of fossils of a soft-bodied, deep-sea dweller that lived more than half a billion years ago, adding one more piece to the enigmatic puzzle that is the history of life on Earth. The 189 well-preserved fossil specimens of Odontogriphus omalus have been interpreted as the world's oldest known soft-bodied mollusk, and were found in British Columbia's mountains in the Burgess Shale, one of the most important fossil sites in the world. The newly discovered...

Trent Lott, in a conference call with 27 GOP Senate Republicans today, said that he would leave the Senate if forced from the Leader position.Jonathan Karl said three or four of the Senators viewed this as "blackmail," but that the majority still support Lott and want him to continue as Leader.