Mollusks exhibition at Harvard Museum of Natural History is multifaceted

Mollusks of amazing diversity—some deadly—are on display at the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

A view of <i>Mollusks: Shelled Masters of the Marine Realm,</i> a new exhibition at the Harvard Museum of Natural History
A selection of cone snail shells

As you stroll along a summer beach, you may be on the lookout for shells, among other sights. Many are beautiful, or intriguing, or associated with pearls or Tyrian purple dye, and the clam, scallop, and oyster shells on a Cape Cod beach may remind you of delectables to eat. You may pick up and pocket that pretty jingle (Anomia simplex); collecting shells can be a harmless passion. But if you grab for a certain cone shell on an Australian beach, and the snail who made it is still in residence, you could be dead by sundown.

An exhibition titled Mollusks: Shelled Masters of the Marine Realm, on display at the Harvard Museum of Natural History through February 2014, might keep you out of danger. With about 300 specimens from the more than 10 million in the museum, the show explores the amazing diversity of the collection and of snails, clams, squids, octopuses, and other invertebrates that together comprise almost a quarter of all known marine species.

A display case devoted to snails contains two shells of the same species of Indian sacred chank (Turbinella pyrum). One is coiled with an opening to the right, the usual thing; the other has its opening to the left. There are only three known examples of such a left-facing shell in the United States. Curatorial associate in the malacology department Adam Baldinger, who selected much of what is on display, feels that the opportunity to include this rarity, a recent donation, is fantastic. A local amateur shell collector has observed that the shell is so valuable in the marketplace that armed guards should be positioned on either side of the case 24/7.

Also in the case are seven shells of cone snails (inset). Remains of the three deadliest specimens are shown elsewhere, but all cone snails have toxin. These animals make their living by firing darts laced with stunning or paralyzing toxins at prey, and this procedure has led scientists to new tools to alleviate pain in humans. “When we injure ourselves and take morphine, or even Tylenol,” says Baldinger, “we’re blocking the nerve impulses to the part of the body that’s damaged, to prevent pain.” A powerful, nonaddictive, well-behaved painkiller derived from cone-snail toxin has been approved by the Federal Drug Administration, and more such will surely follow. Many species of cone snails exist and produce a vast range of potentially helpful toxins. But cone snails live on coral reefs, which are being destroyed. This is an argument in favor of quickly picking up cone snails, carefully.

Read more articles by Christopher Reed

You might also like

What of the Humble Pencil?

Review: At the Harvard Art Museums’ new exhibit, drawing takes center stage

A Paper House in Massachusetts

The 1920s Rockport cottage reflects resourceful ingenuity.

This Connecticut Mine Was Once a Prison

The underground Old New-Gate Prison quickly became “a school for crime.”

Most popular

Is the Constitution Broken?

Harvard legal scholars debate the state of our founding national document.

Harvard Research Funding Will Resume, Government Signals

Notices of grant reinstatements follow a court ruling, but the Trump administration could still appeal. 

Paolo Pasco and the art of making crosswords

Paolo Pasco and the art of making crosswords

Explore More From Current Issue

Man splashing water on his face at outdoor fountain beside woman holding cup near stone building.

Why Heat Waves Make You Miserable

Scientists are studying how much heat and humidity the human body can take.

Two women in traditional kimonos, one lighting a cigarette, in a scene from Apart from You.

Harvard Film Archive Spotlights Japanese Director Mikio Naruse

A retrospective of the filmmaker’s works, from Floating Clouds to Flowing

David McCord in suit reading a book at cluttered wooden desk in office filled with framed art and shelves.

The Pump Celebrates Its 85th Birthday

Giving Harvard traditions their due