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Further Investigations: Phylum Mollusca

  1. Research chromatophore use for communication in cephalopods. What is known, and what are scientists still investigating?
     
  2. Some people refer to octopuses as highly intelligent invertebrates. Use library and Internet resources to investigate what research has been conducted on octopus behavior and intelligence. How can scientists effectively evaluate non-human animal intelligence?
     
  3. This unit described only four classes within the phylum Mollusca: Polyplacophora, Gastropoda, Bivalvia, and Cephalopoda. Use library and Internet resources to investigate the other classes within this phylum, both extant and extinct.
     
  4. Find a mollusc shell collection such as one at a natural history museum. Compare and contrast shells from the class Gastropoda.
    1. Ask the manager of the collection how they have organized the shells and why.
    2. Note any similarities or differences between shells from the Pacific and Atlantic ocean basins that originated in similar habitats.
Exploring Our Fluid Earth, a product of the Curriculum Research & Development Group (CRDG), College of Education. University of Hawaii, 2011. This document may be freely reproduced and distributed for non-profit educational purposes.