“Jeremy the Left-Coiled Snail” is a fascinating real-life story that captivated both scientists and the public. Here’s a summary of who Jeremy was and why he was special:
🐌 Who Was Jeremy the Left-Coiled Snail?
Jeremy was a rare mutant garden snail discovered in the UK in 2016. What made Jeremy unique was that his shell coiled to the left—a condition known as sinistral coiling. Most snails’ shells coil to the right (dextral), and this direction also affects their internal organs and reproductive compatibility.
💡 Why It Mattered
Snails need to align their genital openings to mate, and this is only possible between individuals with shells that coil in the same direction. Because Jeremy was left-coiled, he couldn’t mate with the common right-coiled snails. Scientists were intrigued because Jeremy provided a rare chance to study the genetics of asymmetry in animals.
🧬 The Search for Love
A nationwide (and even global) search was launched to find another left-coiled snail so Jeremy could potentially reproduce. Eventually, two candidates were found: Lefty and Tomeu.
However, in a twist of snail romance, Lefty and Tomeu mated with each other, leaving Jeremy, ironically, a bit of a third wheel.
🐣 Offspring and Legacy
Tomeu later mated with Jeremy, and they did have offspring. Interestingly, all the babies had right-coiled shells, suggesting that left-coiling is a recessive trait. This helped researchers learn more about the genetics of asymmetry.
Jeremy passed away in 2017, but his story brought attention to genetics, biodiversity, and even snail conservation.
Would you like a short children’s story based on Jeremy?