All organisms endure an arms race. We have bacteria and antibiotics, that's kind of an arms race. We have shells and shell-breaking predators, that's a classic arms race. Everything in biology really is an arms race. -- Geerat Vermeij

Video: Vermeij analyzes shells on a Southern California beach

Evolutionary Biologist Geerat Vermeij finds evidence of this ancient arms race on the beaches of Southern California. Blind since childhood and equipped with an acute sense of touch, Vermeij probably knows more about molluscs and their shells than anyone alive.

This scientist studies molluscs in a completely unique way. With his fingertips, he coaxes out their ancient history from their shells, exposing secrets embroidered in the shells' curves, chips, battle scars and ridge lines. Vermeij revels in the creativity of the molluscs.

"I think that a body plan can be pushed incredibly far," Vermeij says. "When you think about molluscs, they're everything from slow, tank-like snails, to very, very fast squid that have large brains and very, very good eyes. There is virtually nothing that you can't do with a molluscan body plan. It may take evolutionary time to get there, but you can get there. And, well, for me, the most amazing things about molluscs is their sheer beauty -- the diversity on a simple theme of spiral growth, how much you can do with a simple theme like spiral growth. They show all these wonderful variations, it's kind of like listening to Bach all your life."

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