Pete,

There are two thoughts on cryptic coloration. The first is that through
natural selection, those offspring that blend in are less likely to be
eaten.
This idea is backed up by some work I have done in herpetology where
wild-caught imported Boa constrictors produce full ranges of colored
offspring and long term captives tend to produce offspring that are
consistently like the parents.

The other thought is that some of the minerals and chemicals in the
environment are somehow included in the food chain and, in the case of
mollusks, are deposited in the shell. Both of these theories need to be
tested. I suspect that both have some effect.

If anyone on the list is working in this area I would like to hear your
thoughts.

Dennis Sargent

-----Original Message-----
From: Conchologists List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pete
Krull
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2009 5:57 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CONCH-L] Albino Shells

It seems to me that if a species has a dark shell in dark sand and a light
shell in light sand, that those are inherited traits brought about by
natural selection. It happens in all kinds of animals. If there is an
advantage gained by blending into the environment to avoid detection by
predators, that is an advantage and more of the advantaged forms will
reproduce. Often the end result is an entire local population with the
advantaged characteristic(s). pete krull

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