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Patterns in Nature: Enigmatic Earth
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Photo: Close-up of a giant clam mantle
Photo: Light reflecting on a rock wall in UtahPhoto: Close-up of a giant clam mantlePhoto: Close-up of a cactus in Manzanillo, MexicoPhoto: A millipede curled into a spiralPhoto: Scales of an Atlantic salmonPhoto: Magnified diatomsPhoto: Close-up of a basket sea starPhoto: Ray of light from a cenote in MexicoPhoto: Snapping turtle shellPhoto: Mammatus clouds over Nebraska
ENLARGEWALLPAPER
Iridescent spots surround the mantle of a giant clam in Palau, Micronesia. The mantle is a fleshy outer layer that secretes the clam's shell.
Photograph by Tim Laman

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