Snail shell growth rings offer window into prehistoric cyclones, Queensland study finds

Researchers discover that native land snail shells record extreme rainfall events, opening new avenue for paleoclimate research

By LineZotpaper

Published21 October 2026

Updated21 October 2026

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University of Queensland researchers have discovered that growth rings in the shells of native land snails can reveal prehistoric cyclone activity, offering a new tool to reconstruct rainfall history before official records began in 1900.

The research focused on the Biggenden banded snail (Figuladra bayensis) found at Coalstoun Lakes National Park in Queensland's Wide Bay region. Scientists took tiny samples from dead snail shells and used elevated levels of radiocarbon from 1960s nuclear tests to date growth bands, determining the snail lived about 4.5 years.

Analysis of oxygen and stable carbon isotopes revealed insights into rainfall. Instead of continuous growth, the shell showed periods of rapid growth separated by little or no growth. Lead researcher Nicholas Patton said: "What we saw was the shell did not grow continuously during the snail's life; there were periods of rapid growth separated by periods of little or no growth."

Honorary professor James Shulmeister said researchers initially assumed summer wet-season growth, but found two big growth spurts corresponding to cyclones that passed close to the site. "We realised that these were two cyclones or ex-cyclones that passed very close to the site and dumped a lot of water on Coalstoun Lakes," Mr Shulmeister said.

The research has been published in The Holocene. Mr Shulmeister expressed optimism about finding preserved snail shells in sediment cores to extend the record further back.

John Stanisic, honorary research fellow at the Queensland Museum, was not involved but called the work "quite incredible" and hoped it would spark more interest in land snails, which play a critical role in ecosystems. Dr Stanisic noted that snails are often overlooked despite being "part of that suite of invertebrate species that are so critical to the functioning of an ecosystem."

The study demonstrates that snail shells could be used to reconstruct past extreme rainfall events, offering a portal to historical weather data before official records began in 1900.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Provides a method to reconstruct historical cyclone frequency and intensity before instrumental records.
Could help improve understanding of long-term climate patterns and inform future risk assessments.
Highlights the value of overlooked organisms like land snails in paleoclimatology.

Background

The research was conducted at Coalstoun Lakes National Park, which preserves sediments well. The Biggenden banded snail is one of an estimated 2,500 land snail species in Australia. Official rainfall records in Australia only date back to 1900, limiting knowledge of pre-colonial weather extremes.

Key Perspectives

Researchers: The team, including Nicholas Patton and James Shulmeister, sees snail shell growth rings as a promising new proxy for past cyclone events, with potential to extend records using older shells in sediment cores.

Snail expert John Stanisic: He describes the findings as "quite incredible" and hopes they spur greater interest in native snails, which are critical to ecosystem function but often overlooked. He notes that snail specimens exist in museums from the 1850s, potentially allowing studies of deeper time.

Critics/Skeptics: None are mentioned in the source study. The research is initial; further validation would involve testing on longer records.

What to Watch

Analysis of sediment cores from Coalstoun Lakes for older snail shell material.
Extension of the method to other snail species and regions.
Peer-reviewed follow-up studies applying the technique to longer time windows.

Sources

Snail shell rings could hold prehistoric cyclone information · Latest Science news
Snail shell rings could hold prehistoric cyclone information · Just In

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 8 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedThe study finds that snail-shell growth rings offer a window into prehistoric cyclones.Just In: “Researchers found that rings in native land snail shells could help map prehistoric cyclones.”
Partly supportedResearchers discovered that native land snail shells record extreme rainfall events and provide a new research avenue.Just In: “This snail has suddenly given us a possibility for reconstructing past cyclone events, which is a really cool way of actually getting at the history of rainfall in the region”
Partly supportedGrowth rings can reveal prehistoric cyclone activity.Just In: “Researchers found that rings in native land snail shells could help map prehistoric cyclones.”
Partly supportedOfficial records began in 1900.Just In: “official rainfall records in Australia only began in 1900.”
SupportedPatton said, “What we saw was the shell did not grow continuously during the snail's life; there were periods of rapid growth separated by periods of little or no growth.”Just In: “What we saw was the shell did not grow continuously during the snail's life; there were periods of rapid growth separated by periods of little or no growth,”
SupportedShulmeister said, “We realised that these were two cyclones or ex-cyclones that passed very close to the site and dumped a lot of water on Coalstoun Lakes.”Just In: “We realised that these were two cyclones or ex-cyclones that passed very close to the site and dumped a lot of water on Coalstoun Lakes.”
SupportedStanisic called the work “quite incredible.”Just In: “It looks quite incredible,”
SupportedStanisic said snails are “part of that suite of invertebrate species that are so critical to the functioning of an ecosystem.”Just In: “They're part of that suite of invertebrate species that are so critical to the functioning of an ecosystem,”
SupportedThe research focused on the Biggenden banded snail at Coalstoun Lakes National Park in Queensland's Wide Bay.Just In: “Researchers from the University of Queensland travelled to Coalstoun Lakes National Park in Queensland's Wide Bay, 350 kilometres north of Brisbane, to study the native land snail known as the Biggenden banded snail (Figuladra bayensis).”
SupportedRadiocarbon from 1960s nuclear tests was used to date growth bands, indicating the snail lived about 4.5 years.Just In: “It contained elevated levels of radiocarbon from the nuclear tests in Australia in the 1960s, meaning we could date the growth bands and reveal the snail had lived for about 4.5 years,”
SupportedResearchers found two large growth spurts that they linked to cyclones or ex-cyclones passing close to the site.Just In: “What we actually found was there were two big growth spurts,”
Partly supportedStanisic said snails are often overlooked despite their role in ecosystems.Just In: “They're part of that suite of invertebrate species that are so critical to the functioning of an ecosystem,”