a pair of british expats say they are ` trapped ' in southern spain amid an ongoing legal battle with the local town hall over a luxury bed and breakfast they once operated . patrick and valerie jubb are attempting to sell the four-bedroom property where they currently reside in jimena de la frontera , but it is now on the brink of being torn down . the retired couple told spain 's olive press news website that they have done nothing wrong but face losing the estate over illegal additions made by a previous owner . patrick and valerie jubb are locked in a dispute with the town hall over alterations made by a previous owner . on first glance they appear to simply be bland , bleach-white seashells , but when viewed under ultraviolet light they are transformed . scientists have used a new technique to reconstrcut the colourful patterns on 28 fossilised cone snail shells that are up to 6.6 million years old . the technique has allowed researchers to look millions of years into the past to see how these once elaborately decorated shells would have once looked . the fossilised cone snail shells have bleached over time , like the one labelled a , but under ultraviolet light traces of pigment still in the shells are revealed , labelled b , allowing their colours to be reconstrcuted -lrb- c -rrb- . the jubbs purchased the bed and breakfast in jimena de la frontera , in southern spain , in 2008 . patrick , 64 , told the news website : ` we are in absolute pieces over this . ` all we want is to go back to the uk to be with our family and friends , but we ca n't . all our money is tied up in the property . ' patrick , a former engineer from london , and his 63-year-old wife , valerie , bought the bed and breakfast , la vina de linan , in 2008 and closed it a year ago as they moved forward with plans to sell it . they said they had a deal in place to sell the estate for $ 680,000 , but the town hall ruled that the first floor , kitchen and pool were illegally built by previous owners in 1994 . instead of being a simple white colour , they were infact covered in streaks of orange , purple , blue and even large pokadots . the scientists now believe the cone snail shells , which come from the northern dominican republic , include 13 entirely new species . a deadly tropical sea snail uses a super-potent form of insulin to subdue its fish prey , scientists have discovered . the geographic cone snail -lrb- conus geographus -rrb- uses the chemical to cause a plunge in blood sugar , leaving the fish sluggish and unable to swim to safety . the jubbs said they obtained a certificate that stated there were no infractions when they bought the estate . when the jubbs tried to sell the town hall ruled that the alterations , including a swimming pool , were illegal . the jubbs told the olive press that the junta provided a certificate stating there were no planning infractions when they bought the property , and that the alterations were legalised by land registry officials in 2005 -- three years before they acquired the estate . in most situations the local authority loses the right to demolish a house that has been illegally altered if it fails to detect the alterations within four years . but in the case of the jubbs the usual rule does not apply because the property is located inside los alcornocales natural park in the andalusian province of cadiz . patrick and valerie jubb are planning to move back to the uk , but said their money is tied up in the property . patrick said the alterations never should have been approved in the first place . online adverts still list the jubbs ' property for sale , with a guide price of $ 875,000 . with a sparkling rating on tripadvisor , it is marketed as a secluded and private property with panoramic mountain views . it is located just 25 minutes from gibraltar and 90 minutes from malaga airport . the home boasts four en-suite bedrooms , a large sitting room with a fireplace , a dining room and terraces . in this way the snail is able to entrap whole schools of small fish . c. geographus is one of the most venomous creatures on earth , and known to have killed dozens of people in accidental encounters . it hunts in two ways , both by releasing toxins into the water and by firing a harpoon-like poison-tipped tooth into its prey.no antidote exists for a cone snail sting , which contains a mixture of nerve agents . the new research has uncovered one highly unusual ingredient in the cone snail 's venom cocktail - weaponised insulin . in tests , a synthetic version of the hormone - made from shorter protein chains than normal insulin - lowered the blood sugar levels of adult zebrafish . injected into water , it also reduced the movements of fish larvae . there are about 30 recorded instances of people being killed by cone snails , some of which have attractive and collectible shells . dr jonathan hendricks , a paleontologist at the san jose state university who led the research , said that the lack of colouration in many fosisilised cone snail shells made them difficult to identify . he said : ` original coloration patterns -- if not the actual colors themselves -- sometimes become visible when fossil shells are illuminated with ultraviolet light , which causes formerly pigmented regions of the shell to fluoresce . ` once a specimen has been photographed under uv light , it is possible to use photoediting software to reconstruct the original shell coloration pattern . ` this is done by creating a reversed , negative image , which causes bright , fluorescing markings to become darkened , corresponding with regions that were once pigmented . ' dr hendricks used the ultraviolet technique to examine a range of fossilised shells that were discovered in the cibao valley of the northern dominican republic . although it is now a rich and fertile inland valley , millions of years ago during the neogene it was covered by ocean . all cone snails are venomous and predatory , with many species still around today . they use a harpoon like tooth that injects venom into their prey . in some cases the cone snail toxins are lethal to humans while many have a painful sting . due to their bright colours and patterns they are often handled by unwary humans , leaving them vulnerable to stings . there are around 700 species of cone snail still living in tropical seas worldwide and around 1,000 species have been found in the fossil record . this image shows three of the fossil shells studied by the scientists as they currently appear without colour . scientists used uv light to reveal tiny traces of the pigment left in the shell and the patterns they once had . however , identifying these can often be tricky as over time the bright pigments in the shells fade . exposing them to ultraviolet light causes any remaining organic matter in the shells - like pigment - to fluoresce . it is thought that these compounds in the shells oxidise over time and so light up when uv light is shined on them . dr hendricks , whose work is published in the journal public library of science one , compared the cone snail shells he examined with the patterns of those of modern caribbean cone snails . he found that many of the fossils showed similar patterns , indicating that some modern species belong to lineages that have survived in the caribbean for millions of years . uv light allowed scientists to peer back millions of years to reconstruct shell patterns and colours as above . dr hendricks said : ` this approach -- combined with the exceptional neogene fossil record of the dominican republic , as well as other regional fossil deposits -- has the potential to provide a detailed understanding of the evolutionary and biogeographic development of the modern western atlantic cone snail fauna . ` clearly much more work needs to be done to better understand the compounds responsible for shell coloration . ` that said , it seems that oxidation - caused either naturally by exposure of shells to sunlight over prolonged periods of time , or artificially by soaking in bleach for several days - plays a role in causing formerly pigmented regions of fossil shells to fluoresce under uv light , though the reason is not currently understood . ' c. geographus -lrb- above -rrb- is one of 700 existing cone snail species and is one of most venomous living animals .
fossilised cone snail shells found in cibao valley of dominican republic . in visible light they appear to be a plain white colour as the pigments faded . under ultraviolet light , however , the vivid patterns and colours fluoresce . scientists were able to reconstruct how the ancient species once looked .
a pair of british expats say they are ` trapped ' in southern spain amid an ongoing legal battle with the local town hall over a luxury bed and breakfast they once operated . patrick and valerie jubb are attempting to sell the four-bedroom property where they currently reside in jimena de la frontera , but it is now on the brink of being torn down . the retired couple told spain 's olive press news website that they have done nothing wrong but face losing the estate over illegal additions made by a previous owner . patrick and valerie jubb are locked in a dispute with the town hall over alterations made by a previous owner . on first glance they appear to simply be bland , bleach-white seashells , but when viewed under ultraviolet light they are transformed . scientists have used a new technique to reconstrcut the colourful patterns on 28 fossilised cone snail shells that are up to 6.6 million years old . the technique has allowed researchers to look millions of years into the past to see how these once elaborately decorated shells would have once looked . the fossilised cone snail shells have bleached over time , like the one labelled a , but under ultraviolet light traces of pigment still in the shells are revealed , labelled b , allowing their colours to be reconstrcuted -lrb- c -rrb- . the jubbs purchased the bed and breakfast in jimena de la frontera , in southern spain , in 2008 . of the most venomous creatures on earth , and known to have killed dozens of people in accidental encounters . it hunts in two ways , both by releasing toxins into the water and by firing a harpoon-like poison-tipped tooth into its prey.no antidote exists for a cone snail sting , which contains a mixture of nerve agents . the new research has uncovered one highly unusual ingredient in the cone snail 's venom cocktail - weaponised insulin . in tests , a synthetic version of the hormone - made from shorter protein chains than normal insulin - lowered the blood sugar levels of adult zebrafish . injected into water , it also reduced the movements of fish larvae . there are about 30 recorded instances of people being killed by cone snails , some of which have attractive and collectible shells . dr jonathan hendricks , a paleontologist at the san jose state university who led the research , said that the lack of colouration in many fosisilised cone snail shells made them difficult to identify . he said : ` original coloration patterns -- if not the actual colors themselves -- sometimes become visible when fossil shells are illuminated with ultraviolet light , which causes formerly pigmented regions of the shell to fluoresce . ` once a specimen has been photographed under uv light , it is possible to use photoediting software to reconstruct the original shell coloration pattern . ` this is done by creating a reversed , negative image , which causes bright , fluorescing markings to become darkened , corresponding with regions that were once pigmented . ' dr hendricks used the ultraviolet technique to examine a range of fossilised shells that were discovered in the cibao valley of the northern dominican republic . although it is now a rich and fertile inland valley , millions of years ago during the neogene it was covered by ocean . all cone snails are venomous and predatory , with many species still around today . they use a harpoon like tooth that injects venom into their prey . in some cases the cone snail toxins are lethal to humans while many have a painful sting . due to their bright colours and patterns they are often handled by unwary humans , leaving them vulnerable to stings . there are around 700 species of cone snail still living in tropical seas worldwide and around 1,000 species have been found in the fossil record . this image shows three of the fossil shells studied by the scientists as they currently appear without colour . scientists used uv light to reveal tiny traces of the pigment left in the shell and the patterns they once had . however , identifying these can often be tricky as over time the bright pigments in the shells fade . exposing them to ultraviolet light causes any remaining organic matter in the shells - like pigment - to fluoresce . it is thought that these compounds in the shells oxidise over time and so light up when uv light is shined on them . dr hendricks , whose work is published in the journal public library of science one , compared the cone snail shells he examined with the patterns of those of modern caribbean cone snails . he found that many of the fossils showed similar patterns , indicating that some modern species belong to lineages that have survived in the caribbean for millions of years . uv light allowed scientists to peer back millions of years to reconstruct shell patterns and colours as above . dr hendricks said : ` this approach -- combined with the exceptional neogene fossil record of the dominican republic , as well as other regional fossil deposits -- has the potential to provide a detailed understanding of the evolutionary and biogeographic development of the modern western atlantic cone snail fauna . ` clearly much more work needs to be done to better understand the compounds responsible for shell coloration . ` that said , it seems that oxidation - caused either naturally by exposure of shells to sunlight over prolonged periods of time , or artificially by soaking in bleach for several days - plays a role in causing formerly pigmented regions of fossil shells to fluoresce under uv light , though the reason is not currently understood . ' c. geographus -lrb- above -rrb- is one of 700 existing cone snail species and is one of most venomous living animals .
bleach-white seashells , but when viewed under ultraviolet light they are transformed . scientists have used a new technique to reconstrcut the colourful patterns on 28 fossilised cone snail shells that are up to 6.6 million years old . the technique has allowed researchers to look millions of years into the past to see how these once elaborately decorated shells would have once looked . the fossilised cone snail shells have bleached over time , like the one labelled a , but under ultraviolet light traces of pigment still in the shells are revealed , labelled b , allowing their colours to be reconstrcuted -lrb- c -rrb- . the jubbs purchased the bed and breakfast in jimena de la frontera , in southern spain , in 2008 . built by previous owners in 1994 . instead of being a simple white colour , they were infact covered in streaks of orange , purple , blue and even large pokadots . the scientists now believe the cone snail shells , which come from the northern dominican republic , include 13 entirely new species . a deadly tropical sea snail uses a super-potent form of insulin to subdue its fish prey , scientists have discovered . the geographic cone snail -lrb- conus geographus -rrb- uses the chemical to cause a plunge in blood sugar , leaving the fish sluggish and unable to swim to safety . the jubbs said they obtained a certificate that stated there were no infractions when they bought the estate . when the jubbs of the most venomous creatures on earth , and known to have killed dozens of people in accidental encounters . it hunts in two ways , both by releasing toxins into the water and by firing a harpoon-like poison-tipped tooth into its prey.no antidote exists for a cone snail sting , which contains a mixture of nerve agents . the new research has uncovered one highly unusual ingredient in the cone snail 's venom cocktail - weaponised insulin . in tests , a synthetic version of the hormone - made from shorter protein chains than normal insulin - lowered the blood sugar levels of adult zebrafish . injected into water , it also reduced the movements of fish larvae . there are about 30 recorded instances of people being killed by cone snails , some of which have attractive and collectible shells . dr jonathan hendricks , a paleontologist at the san jose state university who led the research , said that the lack of colouration in many fosisilised cone snail shells made them difficult to identify . he said : ` original coloration patterns -- if not the actual colors themselves -- sometimes become visible when fossil shells are illuminated with ultraviolet light , which causes formerly pigmented regions of the shell to fluoresce . ` once a specimen has been photographed under uv light , it is possible to use photoediting software to reconstruct the original shell coloration pattern . ` this is done by creating a reversed , negative image , which causes bright , fluorescing markings to become darkened , corresponding with regions that were once pigmented . ' dr hendricks used the ultraviolet technique to examine a range of fossilised shells that were discovered in the cibao valley of the northern dominican republic . although it is now a rich and fertile inland valley , millions of years ago during the neogene it was covered by ocean . all cone snails are venomous and predatory , with many species still around today . they use a harpoon like tooth that injects venom into their prey . in some cases the cone snail toxins are lethal to humans while many have a painful sting . due to their bright colours and patterns they are often handled by unwary humans , leaving them vulnerable to stings . there are around 700 species of cone snail still living in tropical seas worldwide and around 1,000 species have been found in the fossil record . this image shows three of the fossil shells studied by the scientists as they currently appear without colour . scientists used uv light to reveal tiny traces of the pigment left in the shell and the patterns they once had . however , identifying these can often be tricky as over time the bright pigments in the shells fade . exposing them to ultraviolet light causes any remaining organic matter in the shells - like pigment - to fluoresce . it is thought that these compounds in the shells oxidise over time and so light up when uv light is shined on them . dr hendricks , whose work is published in the journal public library of science one , compared the cone snail shells he examined with the patterns of those of modern caribbean cone snails . he found that many of the fossils showed similar patterns , indicating that some modern species belong to lineages that have survived in the caribbean for millions of years . uv light allowed scientists to peer back millions of years to reconstruct shell patterns and colours as above . dr hendricks said : ` this approach -- combined with the exceptional neogene fossil record of the dominican republic , as well as other regional fossil deposits -- has the potential to provide a detailed understanding of the evolutionary and biogeographic development of the modern western atlantic cone snail fauna . ` clearly much more work needs to be done to better understand the compounds responsible for shell coloration . ` that said , it seems that oxidation - caused either naturally by exposure of shells to sunlight over prolonged periods of time , or artificially by soaking in bleach for several days - plays a role in causing formerly pigmented regions of fossil shells to fluoresce under uv light , though the reason is not currently understood . ' c. geographus -lrb- above -rrb- is one of 700 existing cone snail species and is one of most venomous living animals .
a pair british expats say ` trapped ' southern spain amid an ongoing legal battle the local town hall a luxury bed they once operated. patrick and valerie jubb are attempting sell the four-bedroom property where currently jimena de la frontera, but on torn. the retired couple told spain 's olive press news website done but face losing the estate over illegal additions made a previous owner. patrick and valerie jubb are locked with the town hall over alterations made a previous owner. on first glance they simply bland, bleach-white seashells, but when viewed under transformed. scientists used reconstrcut the colourful patterns 28 fossilised cone snail shells that up. the technique has allowed researchers look millions these once elaborately decorated shells would once looked. the fossilised cone snail shells have bleached over, like the one labelled a, under ultraviolet light traces pigment still in revealed labelled b allowing their colours reconstrcuted -lrb- c -rrb-. the jubbs purchased the bed breakfast in jimena de la frontera, in southern spain 2008. patrick, 64 told the news website : ` we in absolute pieces over. ` all we go the uk to be with, but ca n't. all our money tied the property. ' patrick, a former engineer london and, valerie bought the bed, la vina de linan in 2008 closed a ago as moved forward plans sell they said a deal sell the estate 680,000, the town hall ruled the first floor, kitchen pool illegally by previous owners in 1994 instead being a simple white colour, they infact covered streaks orange, purple even large pokadots the scientists now the cone snail shells, come the northern dominican republic, include 13 entirely new species. a deadly tropical sea snail uses a super-potent form insulin subdue its fish prey, scientists the geographic cone snail -lrb- conus geographus uses the chemical to cause a plunge blood sugar, leaving the fish sluggish unable to safety the jubbs said they obtained a certificate that stated there no infractions when bought the estate. when the jubbs tried sell the town hall ruled the alterations, including a swimming pool illegal the jubbs told the olive press the junta provided a certificate stating there no planning infractions when bought, the alterations legalised land registry officials 2005 -- three acquired the estate in most situations the local authority loses demolish that illegally altered if fails detect. but in the jubbs the usual rule does because the property located inside los alcornocales natural park in the andalusian province cadiz. patrick and valerie jubb are planning move the uk, said their money tied the property. patrick said the alterations never should approved in. online adverts still list the jubbs ' property for, with a guide price 875,000. with a sparkling rating on tripadvisor, it marketed a secluded and private property panoramic mountain views. it located just 25 gibraltar 90 malaga airport. the home boasts four en-suite bedrooms, a large sitting room terraces in this way the snail able entrap whole schools small fish. c. geographus is one the most venomous creatures, known killed dozens accidental encounters it hunts in two ways, both by releasing toxins firing a harpoon-like poison-tipped tooth its prey.no antidote exists a cone snail sting contains a mixture nerve agents. the new research has uncovered one highly unusual ingredient the cone snail 's venom cocktail - weaponised insulin. in tests, a synthetic version hormone - made shorter protein chains normal insulin lowered adult zebrafish. injected water, it also reduced the movements fish larvae. there about 30 recorded instances people cone snails, some attractive and collectible shells. dr jonathan hendricks, a paleontologist the san jose state university who led, the lack colouration many fosisilised cone snail shells made. he said : ` original coloration patterns -- if not the actual colors themselves sometimes become visible fossil shells illuminated, which causes formerly pigmented regions fluoresce. ` once a specimen has photographed under uv light, use photoediting software reconstruct the original shell coloration pattern. ` this done creating a reversed, negative image, causes bright, fluorescing markings become darkened corresponding regions were once pigmented ' dr hendricks used the ultraviolet technique examine a range fossilised shells discovered the cibao valley the northern dominican republic. although now a rich and fertile inland valley, millions years during the neogene it covered ocean. all cone snails predatory, with still around today they use a harpoon like tooth that injects venom. in some cases the cone snail toxins lethal while many have a painful sting. due their bright colours patterns they often handled unwary humans, leaving stings. there around 700 species cone snail still tropical seas worldwide have. this image three the fossil shells studied the scientists as currently appear without colour. scientists used uv light reveal tiny traces the pigment left the shell and the patterns they once. however, identifying these can often as over the bright pigments in the shells fade. exposing them ultraviolet causes any remaining organic matter the shells - like pigment. it thought these compounds in the shells oxidise over so light up when uv light shined. dr hendricks, whose work published public library one, compared the cone snail shells he examined the patterns those modern caribbean cone snails he found many the fossils showed similar patterns, indicating some modern species belong lineages survived the caribbean uv light allowed scientists peer back millions reconstruct shell patterns colours as above. dr hendricks said : ` this approach -- combined the exceptional neogene fossil record of the dominican republic, as other regional fossil deposits the evolutionary and biogeographic development the modern western atlantic cone snail fauna. ` clearly much more work needs better the compounds responsible shell coloration. ` that said, it seems oxidation - caused either naturally exposure shells sunlight over, artificially soaking bleach for plays causing formerly pigmented regions fossil shells fluoresce under uv light though the reason currently ' c. geographus -lrb- above is one 700 existing cone snail species and one most venomous living animals.
of the most venomous creatures on earth , and known to have killed dozens of people in accidental encounters . it hunts in two ways , both by releasing toxins into the water and by firing a harpoon-like poison-tipped tooth into its prey.no antidote exists for a cone snail sting , which contains a mixture of nerve agents . the new research has uncovered one highly unusual ingredient in the cone snail 's venom cocktail - weaponised insulin . in tests , a synthetic version of the hormone - made from shorter protein chains than normal insulin - lowered the blood sugar levels of adult zebrafish . injected into water , it also reduced the movements of fish larvae . there are about 30 recorded instances of people being killed by cone snails , some of which have attractive and collectible shells . dr jonathan hendricks , a paleontologist at the san jose state university who led the research , said that the lack of colouration in many fosisilised cone snail shells made them difficult to identify . he said : ` original coloration patterns -- if not the actual colors themselves -- sometimes become visible when fossil shells are illuminated with ultraviolet light , which causes formerly pigmented regions of the shell to fluoresce . ` once a specimen has been photographed under uv light , it is possible to use photoediting software to reconstruct the original shell coloration pattern . ` this is done by creating a reversed , negative image , which causes bright , fluorescing markings to become darkened , corresponding with regions that were once pigmented . ' dr hendricks used the ultraviolet technique to examine a range of fossilised shells that were discovered in the cibao valley of the northern dominican republic . although it is now a rich and fertile inland valley , millions of years ago during the neogene it was covered by ocean . all cone snails are venomous and predatory , with many species still around today . they use a harpoon like tooth that injects venom into their prey . in some cases the cone snail toxins are lethal to humans while many have a painful sting . due to their bright colours and patterns they are often handled by unwary humans , leaving them vulnerable to stings . there are around 700 species of cone snail still living in tropical seas worldwide and around 1,000 species have been found in the fossil record . this image shows three of the fossil shells studied by the scientists as they currently appear without colour . scientists used uv light to reveal tiny traces of the pigment left in the shell and the patterns they once had . however , identifying these can often be tricky as over time the bright pigments in the shells fade . exposing them to ultraviolet light causes any remaining organic matter in the shells - like pigment - to fluoresce . it is thought that these compounds in the shells oxidise over time and so light up when uv light is shined on them . dr hendricks , whose work is published in the journal public library of science one , compared the cone snail shells he examined with the patterns of those of modern caribbean cone snails . he found that many of the fossils showed similar patterns , indicating that some modern species belong to lineages that have survived in the caribbean for millions of years . uv light allowed scientists to peer back millions of years to reconstruct shell patterns and colours as above . dr hendricks said : ` this approach -- combined with the exceptional neogene fossil record of the dominican republic , as well as other regional fossil deposits -- has the potential to provide a detailed understanding of the evolutionary and biogeographic development of the modern western atlantic cone snail fauna . ` clearly much more work needs to be done to better understand the compounds responsible for shell coloration . ` that said , it seems that oxidation - caused either naturally by exposure of shells to sunlight over prolonged periods of time , or artificially by soaking in bleach for several days - plays a role in causing formerly pigmented regions of fossil shells to fluoresce under uv light , though the reason is not currently understood . ' c. geographus -lrb- above -rrb- is one of 700 existing cone snail species and is one of most venomous living animals .
 The text discusses the venomous cone snail, which is one of the most venomous creatures on Earth. It has a harpoon-like tooth that injects a powerful neurotoxin into its prey, causing paralysis and death. The snail's venom is so potent that it can kill humans, and there have been recorded cases of people dying from cone snail stings. The venom contains a complex mixture of chemicals, including conotoxins, which are being studied by scientists for their potential medical applications. The cone snail's unique coloration patterns serve as a warning to potential predators, indicating that they are toxic and should be avoided.