Temperature combined with ocean currents have a significant influence on the distribution of marine life. These current patterns are shaped by the constant change in the distribution of land and sea on the Earth’s surface. In a new study, SNSB scientist Thomas A. Neubauer correlated over 3 million observations of modern benthic mollusks from the shelf areas of the world’s oceans with the development of today’s ocean currents during the recent Earth history. The research team recently published its findings in the journal Scientific Reports.