hey ppl i need ur help?

Question: i noe it's a stupid question but WHY DO ALL THE SEA SHELLS HAVE SUCH A TYPICAL DESIGN,I MEAN WHY ARE ALL THEIR PATTERNS SO SIMILAR??/ plz help me out i need the answers as soon as possible thanxs loads

Answer: Not really. I know there are univalves and bivalves. But in one category, yeah it is. I think it follows the growth of the organism growing inside the shell. ----------------------------------- GROWTH PATTERNS & SHAPES OF UNIVALVES Imagine if you will, an elongated cone. The outer edge of the cone is where growth occurs, getting longer and wider with age. This would be a very cumbersome skeleton for the snail to drag around, so, by wrapping around itself in a coil, it compacts the shell into a more manageable shape. This is why a young snail like shell will look basically identical to the larger adult. One complete turn around the shells' imaginary axis is called a "whorl" Some primitive shells do not coil at all and are completely random shaped, others almost seem to uncoil. These types are called worm shells. Cowries are unusual. The young shell has the normal growth coil as other snail like shells but then when it becomes mature, the growth lip curls under, the shell thickens and the "teeth" form on both sides of the opening. Another lovely difference about the cowries is their glossy shine. The mantle completely envelops the shell most of the time. Not all univalves grow in a coil shape. Some are more flattened like the abalone. They have very few whorls and have holes along the edge for respiration. Abalone cling to rocks with their suction like foot. Limpets share a similar lifestyle as abalone, but do not have any whorls. They just grow from their outer edge. Here are some articles: http://starryskies.com/articles/dln/8-00/shells.html http://www.sanibel-captiva.org/play/guide.asp http://www.sunandfundivers.com/seashells_as_living_creatures.htm

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