- Joined
- Mar 3, 2008
- Messages
- 23
I just got the April 5-11, 2008 issue of New Scientist magazine (vol 198, No 2650) and it has a GREAT 4 page article on the Chambered Nautilus entitled "Chamber of Secrets".
In summary, the article discusses the physiology of Nautiluses from their large-ish brains and copper blood to how they adjust their chamber's gas content to stay neutrally buoyant. It then goes on to explain how nautiluses have much more special diversity than previously thought and that current taxonomy lumps together tens of different species under one name (Nautilus pompilus). Potentially exciting for aquarists, it references a dwarf species of nautilus found around Osprey Reef off the North-East coast of Australia. It then references the author's (Peter Ward, professor of biology at the University of Washington in Seattle) work studying nautiluses in the wild with his research partner, Bruce Saunders (of Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania), and their plans for future research projects.
The link to the article follows, but you can only read the first two paragraphs without subscribing to New Scientist - wish there was an ethical way around this. I suppose you could inquire about ordering a back-issue from New Scientist to avoid having to pay for a full subscription...
Nautilus: Chambers of secrets
Enjoy!
= Bender =
In summary, the article discusses the physiology of Nautiluses from their large-ish brains and copper blood to how they adjust their chamber's gas content to stay neutrally buoyant. It then goes on to explain how nautiluses have much more special diversity than previously thought and that current taxonomy lumps together tens of different species under one name (Nautilus pompilus). Potentially exciting for aquarists, it references a dwarf species of nautilus found around Osprey Reef off the North-East coast of Australia. It then references the author's (Peter Ward, professor of biology at the University of Washington in Seattle) work studying nautiluses in the wild with his research partner, Bruce Saunders (of Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania), and their plans for future research projects.
The link to the article follows, but you can only read the first two paragraphs without subscribing to New Scientist - wish there was an ethical way around this. I suppose you could inquire about ordering a back-issue from New Scientist to avoid having to pay for a full subscription...
Nautilus: Chambers of secrets
Enjoy!
= Bender =