Short shrift to sea sheer.

As a malacologist, I enjoyed "Shells may represent oldest known beads" (SN: 7/8/06, p. 30). Although the holes look like what could be made with a stone tool, the Science paper acknowledged that a small percentage of naturally occurring holes look similar. Either the people deliberately selected shells with suitable holes or else they perforated them deliberately. Both options show effort at obtaining decorative objects.

DAVID CAMPBELL, TUSCALOOSA, ALA.