Microorganism Of The Snail Essay

A country that is an exemplification of the diversity of life is Australia. This country has consistently evolved over centuries and its various species is a reflection of this. Within the Australian ecosystem is a population of rare snails. These snails are known scientifically as Thersites mitchellae or commonly referred to as the Mitchell's rainforest snail. These are a species of snails most widely known for their vibrant and colorful shell. Their shells contain a swirl of red and brown undertones complemented by bright yellow-gold bands that run horizontally across the surface of their shells. The visible soft outer body beneath the shell is a rich black color. The snail’s distinct color allows it to be able to camouflage into the earthy

However, one day a biologist from New Zealand introduced a new dark-colored microorganism onto the rocks of Byron Bay. The biologist was testing whether the rocks contained certain characteristics that could stimulate a certain species of cell growth. The introduction of the new microorganism at first provided no harm to natural environment of Byron Bay, but a few years later noticeable effects started to be seen. The new microorganism proliferated and the dark- colored micro organism colonized the rocks causing the rock color to change from the deep chestnut to an asphalt black. The gene flow of the new microorganism from New Zealand to Byron Bay had a tremendous impact on the Mitchell’s rainforest snail. The new dark colored environment made the golden bands on the snail shell to stick out which made the snail more susceptible to attacks by the Noisy Pitta. However, although severely depleted and endangered, the snails which had the genetic defect that caused their shell to not contain the bright gold bands or who possessed a dark outer shell became harder to spot and less susceptible to