Snail shells might serve as natural time capsules for understanding past weather, according to a study led by researchers from the University of Queensland. The research focused on the Biggenden Banded Snail (Figuladra bayensis), found in Coalstoun Lakes National Park in southeast Queensland. Published in The Holocene, the study suggests that these snail shells could help scientists map historical cyclones and extreme weather events. Dr. Nicholas Patton, one of the researchers, explained that by taking tiny samples of the snail’s shell at millimeter intervals, the team could determine the snail’s age, the time it lived, and the weather conditions it experienced. Using a technique called high-resolution radiocarbon dating, the researchers analyzed the growth bands in the shell. They found elevated levels of radiocarbon from nuclear tests in Australia in the 1960s, which helped them date the growth bands. The snail, it turned out, had lived for about 4.5 years. The study also looked at oxygen and carbon stable isotopes within the shell's growth bands. These isotopes provided clues about the amount of rainfall the snail experienced during its lifetime. Surprisingly, the snail's shell did not grow continuously. Instead, there were periods of rapid growth separated by times of little or no growth. This pattern suggested that the snail was reacting to specific weather events rather than regular seasonal changes. Honorary Professor Jamie Shulmeister noted that the team had initially thought the rapid growth phases might be linked to years of heavy rainfall, which would provide more food for the snail. However, the data showed that the growth spurts were more closely connected to extreme rainfall events, such as those caused by cyclones. Specifically, the snail's growth patterns aligned with the aftermath of Severe Tropical Cyclone Marcia and Tropical Cyclone Debbie in 2015 and 2017, which brought intense rainfall to the area. The researchers believe that snail shells could be a valuable tool for studying extreme weather events that occurred before modern weather records were available. Their next step is to test this method by examining snail shells found in different layers of sediment, which could allow them to look even further back in time. This research, titled “Evaluating the Biggenden Banded Snail (Figuladra bayensis) as a climate archive for SE Queensland, Australia, using stable isotopes and 14C dating,” was published in The Holocene in 2026. It highlights the potential of using snail shells as a new way to study historical climate patterns and extreme weather events.