<p>If you're talking about the chirality of the shell, it has been shown that it was the expression of the <em>dpp</em> gene (<strong>Shimizu et al. 2013</strong>).<br>
More trivially, if chirality had anything to do with the Coriolis effect, all gastropods from the Southern Hemisphere would be sinistral and all the ones from the Northern hemisphere would be dextral. Which is not the case.</p>

<p>Shimizu et al. 2013. <a href="http://www.evodevojournal.com/content/4/1/15/abstract">Left-right asymmetric expression of dpp in the mantle of gastropods correlates with asymmetric shell coiling.</a> EvoDevo, 4(15).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-05T16:12:54.623Z
Interestingly, the sinistral/dextral coiling of foramnifera can be a function of temperature - allowing the ratio of s vs d to be used as a temperature proxy. I've always wondered about the accuracy of this technique though.
winwaed
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-06T12:41:29.083Z
@winwaed *Neogloboquadrina pachyderma* coiling direction is indeed often considered to be a usable sea surface temperature proxy. Other foraminifera species however can have very different coiling direction pattern (see in particular *Pulleniatina obliquiloculata* for an interesting case figure).
plannapus
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-04T09:42:25.993Z
2014-12-04T09:42:25.993Z
plannapus
<p>In the Northern hemisphere the rotation of the Earth determines a counter-clockwise spin on matter. Weather, ocean currents all are related in that spin. I wonder if my snail fossils preserve the original 'spin' of the earth's rotation and have a reserved momentum. Would that be useful in analyzing gravity/spin at that time period?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-04T08:52:28.333Z
On the Physics site it was answered that the coriolis effect (spin) had no relation to gastropod development. That is why I am asking you.
ScottyAustin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-04T09:38:23.693Z
Perhaps you could expand the question to explain what you felt was lacking in the answer you received on physics.se.
Pont
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-04T12:46:44.080Z
I'm voting to close because this is about gastropod development and fossilization.  Simply because there is a question of how the coriolis effect impacts gastropods does not mean that this is a question about the coriolis effect.  This is off-topic for this site.
Richard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-04T13:31:23.430Z
I'm not entirely sure if this is off-topic: after all if the Coriolis effect had indeed an effect on gastropod chirality, their paleontological record would indeed be used as a proxy for paleolatitude or whatever and the question would therefore be on-topic. The fact that the reasons why it does not have indeed nothing to do with Earth Science seems incidental to me.
plannapus
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-04T15:00:20.067Z
@plannapus Actually, after much consideration, I agree.  This is not off-topic because it's specifically asking if that would be "useful in analyzing gravity/spin at that time period".  I'm removing my close vote.  Still, this question is begging the question of the coriolis effect (which is off-topic).  The "would that be useful" question is not off-topic, though.
Richard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-05T02:01:45.360Z
This question needs to be reworded heavily in order to give a consistent scientific train of thought.  Perhaps someone who understands chirality could make such an edit.
f.thorpe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-06T03:04:44.370Z
Don't crosspost. The only reason I did not close this question is because your crosspost was already closed.
casey
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-11T08:00:20.580Z
Most interesting is the punting back-and-forth. The Physics side wonders why my question is even valid; "we are not biologists or geologists". So the same question to the other disciplines is almost the same. I will reformulate my question after consulting with few friends that may get my crossover concept. What is still unanswered is from the physics point of view, thanks for your comments
ScottyAustin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-11T11:22:17.900Z
You have valid answers from a physics point of view both here and your Q on physics.SE. That you seemingly dont understand the link between Coriolis and planetary rotation does not impact their validity.
casey
<geophysics><geology>
Is angular momentum preserved in a gastropod fossil?
ScottyAustin
# Is angular momentum preserved in a gastropod fossil?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-12-04)

In the Northern hemisphere the rotation of the Earth determines a counter-clockwise spin on matter. Weather, ocean currents all are related in that spin. I wonder if my snail fossils preserve the original 'spin' of the earth's rotation and have a reserved momentum. Would that be useful in analyzing gravity/spin at that time period?

**Tags:** geophysics, geology

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: On the Physics site it was answered that the coriolis effect (spin) had no relation to gastropod development. That is why I am asking you.  
> **username_1**: Perhaps you could expand the question to explain what you felt was lacking in the answer you received on physics.se.  
> **username_2**: I'm voting to close because this is about gastropod development and fossilization.  Simply because there is a question of how the coriolis effect impacts gastropods does not mean that this is a question about the coriolis effect.  This is off-topic for this site.  
> **username_3**: I'm not entirely sure if this is off-topic: after all if the Coriolis effect had indeed an effect on gastropod chirality, their paleontological record would indeed be used as a proxy for paleolatitude or whatever and the question would therefore be on-topic. The fact that the reasons why it does not have indeed nothing to do with Earth Science seems incidental to me.  
> **username_2**: @username_3 Actually, after much consideration, I agree.  This is not off-topic because it's specifically asking if that would be "useful in analyzing gravity/spin at that time period".  I'm removing my close vote.  Still, this question is begging the question of the coriolis effect (which is off-topic).  The "would that be useful" question is not off-topic, though.  
> **username_4**: This question needs to be reworded heavily in order to give a consistent scientific train of thought.  Perhaps someone who understands chirality could make such an edit.  
> **username_5**: Don't crosspost. The only reason I did not close this question is because your crosspost was already closed.  
> **username_0**: Most interesting is the punting back-and-forth. The Physics side wonders why my question is even valid; "we are not biologists or geologists". So the same question to the other disciplines is almost the same. I will reformulate my question after consulting with few friends that may get my crossover concept. What is still unanswered is from the physics point of view, thanks for your comments  
> **username_5**: You have valid answers from a physics point of view both here and your Q on physics.SE. That you seemingly dont understand the link between Coriolis and planetary rotation does not impact their validity.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-12-04. Score: 10

If you're talking about the chirality of the shell, it has been shown that it was the expression of the *dpp* gene (**Shimizu et al. 2013**).  
More trivially, if chirality had anything to do with the Coriolis effect, all gastropods from the Southern Hemisphere would be sinistral and all the ones from the Northern hemisphere would be dextral. Which is not the case.

Shimizu et al. 2013. [Left-right asymmetric expression of dpp in the mantle of gastropods correlates with asymmetric shell coiling.](http://www.evodevojournal.com/content/4/1/15/abstract) EvoDevo, 4(15).

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: Interestingly, the sinistral/dextral coiling of foramnifera can be a function of temperature - allowing the ratio of s vs d to be used as a temperature proxy. I've always wondered about the accuracy of this technique though.  
> **username_3**: @username_6 *Neogloboquadrina pachyderma* coiling direction is indeed often considered to be a usable sea surface temperature proxy. Other foraminifera species however can have very different coiling direction pattern (see in particular *Pulleniatina obliquiloculata* for an interesting case figure).  

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