In many systems used to study rhythmic motor programs, the structures that generate behavior are at least partially internal. In these systems, it is often difficult to directly monitor neurally evoked movements. As a consequence, although motor programs are relatively well characterized, it is generally less clear how neural activity is translated into functional movements. This is the case fo...

Convergent evolution is a phenomenon whereby similar traits evolved independently in not closely related species, and is often interpreted in functional terms. Spines in mollusk seashells are classically interpreted as having repeatedly evolved as a defense in response to shell-crushing predators. Here we consider the morphogenetic process that shapes these structures and underlies their repeat...

Mollusk shells contain many isotopic clues about calcification physiology and environmental conditions at the time of shell formation. In this review, we use both published and unpublished data to discuss carbon isotopes in both bivalve and gastropod shell carbonates. Land snails construct their shells mainly from respired CO2, and shell δC reflects the local mix of C3 and C4 plants consumed. S...

grassland and not going anywhere are no longer cowpaths. The photograph shows the currently used paths in the grassland bowed toward the lower left by encroaching shrubs while faint scars above reveal where the paths once passed. In the grassland these old paths are obliterated by grass; in the shrub zone they remain bare and become broader. The great broad white zones of bare ground both insid...

In the last years, the field of mollusk biomineralization has known a tremendous mutation. The most recent advances deal with the nanostructure of shell biominerals, and with the identification of several shell matrix proteins: on one hand, the complex hierarchical organization of shell biominerals has been deciphered in few models, like nacre. On the other hand, although proteins represent a m...

Compared to finfish and crustaceans, limited attention has been given the economic modeling production risk analysis of mollusk aquaculture. Given aquaculture's sensitivity environmental factors, understanding its relationship technology location is critical firm viability. We modeled as a function random elements performed stochastic utilizing Monte Carlo simulation in conjunction with scenari...

Tyrosinase is a type-3 copper protein with six conserved histidine residues within the copper-binding sites. It participates in mollusk nacre formation. Here, we identified nacreous-layer-specific tyrosinases (NLSTyr) from Pinctada fucata martensii ( PmTyr-4 and PmTyr-6 ), as well their homologs maxima PmaxTyr PmaxTyr4 ) margaritifera PmarTyr PmarTyr-4 which encoded without mRNAs were spatially...