In hydrothermal vent fields, a small snail evolved an iron-reinforced shell. Here’s how it challenges assumptions about ...

The snail’s shell diameter averages about 22 to 30 millimeters (.87 to 1.18 inches). Each snail’s shell has a unique combination of stripes and colors, so no two are exactly alike. These snails eat ...

Generally, a shell is an evolutionary trait that allows a creature to retreat from predators. This is the case for almost all snails. But at least two species of snails use their shell in a much more ...

A snail with a shell spiraling to the right can’t mate readily with a lefty. So, changes in the single gene that controls shell direction have created new snail species, say researchers. Among the 20 ...