For those interested in the cowries: I've recently completed a database of 2,865 Cypraea isabella which had been collected back in the 1980s and 1990s. All are from the upper Waianae coast of Oahu, Hawaii. Some of the parameters included are: degree of callosity, live- or dead-collected, length, width, height, & number of labial and columellar teeth. While 'rummaging' through the many relationships possible in so much data, I found the following set of numbers particularly interesting. It seems to suggest that present conditions are more favorable for Cypraea isabella than those in the not-too-distant past. Live-collected specimens (including freshly-dead specimens) have all or some of their initial luster (unblemished nacre) remaining; “(B)each” specimens (faded and lacking any luster) have been empty for some time. These plainly older shells are suspected of having been alive several decades, or more, ago. Examining the five “maturity” groups across the “Live”/”Beach” barrier reveals a possibility of a warmer, more hospitable environment at present. # of - callosity - lengths (averaged) spec. ("maturity") (inches) 47 M 1.125” 200 MB 0.853” 152 m 0.755” 768 mB 0.667” 361 _ 0.689” 1109 _B 0.646” 67 j 0.711" 132 jB 0.693” 15 J 0.624” 14 JB 0.608” Key to callosity: (M)ature, (m)oderately mature, (_) transitional. less (j)uvenile, (J)uvenile Is this another indication of recent global warming? Have other mollusks served as indicators of this possible drift in Earth's temperature? It's something to consider. Aloha, makuabob (Bob Dayle) http://www.cowrys.org _________________________________________________________________ Surf the Web without missing calls! Get MSN Broadband. http://resourcecenter.msn.com/access/plans/freeactivation.asp