Squishy rulers of the dinosaur-era seas.Squids consist mostly of soft body parts. The one exception is their hard, chitinous beak. Squid beaks that manage to survive on the fossil record of Earth ...

The beak, made of hard chitin and other materials, changes density gradually from the hard tip to a softer, more flexible base where it attaches to the muscle around the squid's mouth, the ...

Researchers are always asking hard questions the rest of us would never have thought of, such as this one: How does a gelatinous squid manipulate its stiff, razor-sharp beak without turning itself ...

The researchers say squid beaks - hard mouthparts that have a high fossilisation potential - are important clues for studying how squids evolved.

Ellen Goethel is a marine biologist and the owner of Explore the Ocean World Oceanarium at 367 Ocean Blvd. at Hampton Beach.

Using an advanced fossil discovery technique on Late Cretaceous rocks from Japan, researchers found elusive and ancient squid beak fossils proving that squids thrived while dinosaurs died.

Before now, the species was only known from carcasses in fishing nets or when the squids’ beaks were found in the stomach of fished marine animals.

The giant squid’s strength, speed, and stealth make it a terrifying predator, capable of crushing bones and dragging prey ...

When thinking of potential dangers in the ocean, sharks and massive whales often come to mind, but what about squid? Humboldt squid, in particular, are powerful creatures with sharp beaks and ...