News Animals

The teeth of ‘wandering meatloaf’ contain a rare mineral found only in rocks

The giant Pacific chiton’s use of santabarbaraite could inspire materials for soft robotics

Cryptochiton stelleri on the seafloor

The teeth of the world’s largest chiton (Cryptochiton stelleri), nicknamed "the wandering meatloaf” for its charismatic looks (shown), possess a rare mineral once found only in rocks.

Jerry Kirkhart/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

By Charles Q. Choi

- More than 2 years ago

The hard, magnetic teeth of a leathery red-brown mollusk nicknamed “the wandering meatloaf” possess a rare mineral previously seen only in rocks.