Have you ever wondered about the true nature of cowrie shells? Where do they come from? Are they simply shells, or is there more to their story? You may have a vague understanding that cowries were ...

“Before you do anything else,” curator Chris Meyer said the minute I arrived at the National Museum of Natural History’s Invertebrate Zoology collection, “you have to vote for beauty.” He led me ...

Shells are the true gems of the ocean and a beachcomber’s most prized find. Although, commonly used today to adorn necklaces, earrings and bracelets, or to decorate the home, shells and their ...