They’re small, slow and often overlooked — but snails hold a deep record of Earth’s past. Scientists can trace ocean chemistry, mass extinctions and even human migration through their shells.
A recent exhibit by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History highlights seven snail species that each represent a chapter of life on Earth.
According to Smithsonian Magazine, these snails are more than curiosities — they’re tools for reading the planet’s deep-time memory.