Scaly-Foot Snail
A deep-sea snail incorporates iron sulfides into parts of its shell and scales.
The Biological Miracle: The scaly-foot snail lives near hydrothermal vents in the Indian Ocean. It incorporates iron sulfides into parts of its shell and external scales, an unusual adaptation to a chemically intense environment rather than a suit of pure iron.
The Philosophical Mirror: The animal's body is partly made from materials produced by the environment it inhabits. Adaptation can blur the line between organism and place without making them the same thing.
The Human Takeaway: Conditions that seem hostile can support forms of life we do not expect, though that does not make every hazard beneficial. What environment have I dismissed as empty because I did not know how to see its forms of life?
Conditions that seem hostile can support forms of life we do not expect, though that does not make every hazard beneficial.
What environment have I dismissed as empty because I did not know how to see its forms of life?