Nautilus implosion

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Date
Lars wrote:

>Nope, only bits of shell left over from the implosion experiments reported
>in early issues of Paleobiology: surely the least ethical research ever
>published in a paleontological journal (or are there other examples)?

While we're on the topic...did we actually *learn* anything about ammonites
from these experiments?

Ammonites are known to have lived high up the water column, i.e. less than
200 to 250 m, generally less (see Westermann 1982, Batt 1991, Westermann
1996). And Nautiluses are regularly found as deep as 200 m and in places to
600 m (Denton & Gilpin Brown 1966, Westermann & Ward 1980). And Spirula,
with the simplest sutures of all, down to 1000 m (Bruun 1943, Clarke 1966).

Question: what was the point of crushing all those Nautiluses?

All the best,

Neale.

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References:

Batt R. J. 1991. Sutural amplitude of ammonite shells as a
paleoenvironmental indicator. Lethaia, 24: 219-225.

Bruun A. F. 1943. The biology of Spirula spirula (L.). Carlsberg
Foundation's Oceanographic Expedition round the World 1928-1930. Dana
Report, 24: 1-46.

Clarke, M. R. 1966. A review of the systematics and ecology of oceanic
squids. Advances in Marine Biology, 4: 93-300.

Westermann G. E. G. 1982. The connecting rings of Nautilus and Mesozoic
ammonoids: implications for ammonoid bathymetry. Lethaia, 15: 373-384.

Westermann G. E. G. 1996. Ammonoid life and habit, 607-707. In Landman N.
H., Tanabe K., Davis R. A. (eds.), Ammonoid Paleobiology, Topics in
Geobiology Volume 13. Plenum Press, New York, USA.

Westermann G. E. G. & Ward P. D. 1980. Septum morphology and bathymetry in
cephalopods. Paleobiology, 6: 48-50.

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>From  Neale Monks' Macintosh PowerBook, at...

Department of Palaeontology, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD
Internet: N.Monks@nhm.ac.uk, Telephone: 0171-938-9007
Telephone (international): 0044 171 938 9345

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