image: Beak of the Humboldt squid Dosidicus gigas. (A) Side view of a full upper beak after removal from the buccal mass showing natural pigmentation. (B) Split beak highlighting the relation of the wing to the rostrum. (C) Dissected wing. (D) Beak in (A) after staining for dopa-containing proteins with a catechol-specific reagent. (E) Series of sections representing different shades of the pigmentation gradient. This image relates to article that appeared in the 28 March 2008 issue of the journal Science, published by AAAS. The study, by Ali Miserez of the University of California, Santa Barbara and colleagues, was titled "The Transition from Stiff to Compliant Materials in Squid Beaks." view more
Credit: Image courtesy of <i>Science</i>/AAAS