Volcano Snails Exist. They Have Metal Shells And Survive 750 Degree Temperatures

[Michie]

This is the scaly-foot snail, which has evolved a shell made of iron that can survive "impossible living conditions" of underwater volcanic vents.

Credit: Pen News / HKUST

On top of this, the squishy part that protrudes out of the shell, known as the foot, is covered with iron plates.

The mystery of this volcano-dwelling snail and its metal shell has recently been unraveled by scientists at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).

Researchers collected 20 scaly-foot snails at around 2,900 meters (1.8 miles) below sea level from the Indian Ocean. The species has been found at depths of about 1.5 – 1.7 miles in the Indian Ocean.

Credit: David Shale

Among their discoveries was a genetic clue about the snail's metal armor.

"We found that one gene, named MTP – metal tolerance protein – 9, showed a 27-fold increase in the population with iron sulphide mineralization compared to the one without,' said Dr Sun Jin. "This protein was suggested to enhance tolerance of metal ions."

Credit: Pen News / HKUST

Scientists believe this tolerance enables the snails to survive as the iron ions in their environment react with the sulfur in their scales, creating iron sulfides.

"Uncovering this snail's genome advances our knowledge of the genetic mechanism of mollusks, laying the genetic groundwork which paves the way for application," said Dr Qian Peiyuan.

The HKUST team believes their work could also pave the way for "potential remedies" in the field of medicine too.

The full study has been published on Nature Communications.

https://www.sunnyskyz.com/blog/3238/Volcano-Snails-Exist-They-Have-Metal-Shells-And-Survive-750-Degree-Temperatures

 

[Ophiolite]

"Survive 750 degree temperatures"! You think?

Note to all: read the full paper on the Nature link. Avoid the Sunny Skyz link.

 

[Michie]

"Survive 750 degree temperatures"! You think?

Note to all: read the full paper on the Nature link. Avoid the Sunny Skyz link.

That’s why I included the link as did the article.

 

[Ophiolite]

That’s why I included the link.

I'm glad you did. I would have avoided all portions of the Sunny Skze link and posted the abstract of the Nature paper. But that's just me. Nevertheless, thank you for making me aware of the Curious Cephalopod.

 

[Michie]

I'm glad you did. I would have avoided all portions of the Sunny Skze link and posted the abstract of the Nature paper. But that's just me. Nevertheless, thank you for making me aware of the Curious Cephalopod.

You’re welcome. Not many would understand the Nature paper though.

 

[Michie]

Researching this now. I keep running into the same thing.

"I recently learned that volcano snails exist. Their shells are made of iron and they live around hydrothermal vents that can reach up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit."


The bizarre-looking deep sea snail boasts a unique three-layered shell that can easily fend off attacks from crabs as well as protect it from high temperatures. They’re currently known to exist around four hydrothermal vents in the Indian Ocean where temperatures can reach up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit. Its outer layer of its shell is made from iron sulfide, creating a suit of armor around its vitals. Read more for a video and additional information.



Researchers also discovered that the snail doesn’t really eat anything, but instead relies on energy produced from bacteria it hosts in a large gland.

This Bizarre Deep Sea Snail Has an Iron Shell to Help it Survive High Temperatures

 

[David Hunter]

Cool looking snail!

 

[Ophiolite]

They’re currently known to exist around four hydrothermal vents in the Indian Ocean where temperatures can reach up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit.

The temperature at the vent oulet may well reach 750 deg F. The snails will be keeping well clear of those zones. Thermophiles, singled celled organisms capable of withstanding extreme (in biological terms) temperature can take up to around 250 deg F. There are no multicellular, metazoan organisms that can take that, so 750 is wholly out of the question.

The significance of the snails is not in their temperature tolerance, but in their use of iron sulphide as a component in their skeletons. This is, as far as currently known, unique.

In turn it makes these "an ideal model to study the genomic mechanisms underlying the evolutionary diversification of biomineralised armour. [The authors] present a high-quality whole-genome assembly and tissue-specific transcriptomic data, and show that scale and shell formation in the Scaly-foot Snail employ independent subsets of 25 highly-expressed transcription factors. Comparisons with other lophotrochozoan genomes imply that this biomineralisation toolkit is ancient, though expression patterns differ across major lineages. We suggest that the ability of lophotrochozoan lineages to generate a wide range of hard parts, exemplified by the remarkable morphological disparity in Mollusca, draws on a capacity for dynamic modification of the expression and positioning of toolkit elements across the genome."*

In simpler terms, the genes that make the "iron-armour" possible can potentially provide insight into mechanisms that fuelled macro-evolution within the phylum.

*From the abstract.

 

[Michie]

The temperature at the vent oulet may well reach 750 deg F. The snails will be keeping well clear of those zones. Thermophiles, singled celled organisms capable of withstanding extreme (in biological terms) temperature can take up to around 250 deg F. There are no multicellular, metazoan organisms that can take that, so 750 is wholly out of the question.

The significance of the snails is not in their temperature tolerance, but in their use of iron sulphide as a component in their skeletons. This is, as far as currently known, unique.

In turn it makes these "an ideal model to study the genomic mechanisms underlying the evolutionary diversification of biomineralised armour. [The authors] present a high-quality whole-genome assembly and tissue-specific transcriptomic data, and show that scale and shell formation in the Scaly-foot Snail employ independent subsets of 25 highly-expressed transcription factors. Comparisons with other lophotrochozoan genomes imply that this biomineralisation toolkit is ancient, though expression patterns differ across major lineages. We suggest that the ability of lophotrochozoan lineages to generate a wide range of hard parts, exemplified by the remarkable morphological disparity in Mollusca, draws on a capacity for dynamic modification of the expression and positioning of toolkit elements across the genome."*

In simpler terms, the genes that make the "iron-armour" possible can potentially provide insight into mechanisms that fuelled macro-evolution within the phylum.

*From the abstract.

Yes agreed. But my point is that everyone except the nature paper I linked to is reporting pretty much the same thing.

 

[Ophiolite]

Yes agreed. But my point is that everyone except the nature paper I linked to is reporting pretty much the same thing.

Which is why all popular press articles need to be taken with several truck loads of salt. They are often misleading because:

• The journalist is uneducated in the field and doesn't understand the research.
• The journalist knows the article needs a hook to grab readers - and 750 deg tolerant organisms will do that every time.
• The reader misreads the material. Yes, the snails live on 750 deg F volcanic vents, but no, that does not mean they are exposed to 750 deg F temperatures.
  
• It's April the 1st.

I think it is our responsibility when posting science news to warn readers of misinterpretations or potential misunderstandings of the original material.

 

[Michie]

Which is why all popular press articles need to be taken with several truck loads of salt. They are often misleading because:

• The journalist is uneducated in the field and doesn't understand the research.
• The journalist knows the article needs a hook to grab readers - and 750 deg tolerant organisms will do that every time.
• The reader misreads the material. Yes, the snails live on 750 deg F volcanic vents, but no, that does not mean they are exposed to 750 deg F temperatures.
  
• It's April the 1st.

I think it is our responsibility when posting science news to warn readers of misinterpretations or potential misunderstandings of the original material.

As I said. I posted the link that has the pertinent info. But I post this stuff to take a break from more serious news. But when I post these things, it is not a life and death issue. I posted in the hobbies, entertainment, etc. Yes investigate what you post but there is no need to be anal retentive about a snail discovery. Anyone interested can do as I did and read the Nature paper along with other various sources. And I trust the reader to do that. So I just wanted to get that out of the way.

 

[durangodawood]

At 750f you have burned les escargots.