An innovative analysis of a single snail's shell has revealed the slow-moving creatures carry a weight of history on their backs, possibly including evidence of prehistoric cyclones.
A University of Queensland study has discovered shells can detail not only a snail's age but also where they lived and the weather during their lifetime.
Researchers analysed the rings on the shell of a Biggenden banded snail from Coalstoun Lakes National Park in southeast Queensland.
High-resolution radiocarbon dating was used to determine the age of the growth bands in the shell, revealing insights into the rainfall the snail experienced during its four-and-a-half-year lifespan.
