Mollusks Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

The Watts Towers (WT), an iconic Los Angeles artwork created by Sabato Rodia in 1921–1954, is covered with mosaics whose elements include thousands of mollusk shells. Little is known about the diversity or sources of these shells. Here, we document the diversity of mollusk shells present in the WT and use data on their characteristics to make inferences about their provenance. We identified shells of 34 species, 24 of them bivalves (clams and their relatives) and 10 gastropods (snails). Almost all (29/34) of these species are native to southern California shorelines, especially those of bays and estuaries. Rodia could have accessed these sites on foot, by automobile, or by using the Red Car trolley system. Some of the bivalve shells bear drill holes made by naticid gastropods, suggesting that they were collected post-mortem, presumably after they had washed up on beaches. These observations are consistent with the sparse documentary evidence on the origin of the shells of the WT. This detailed information on the diversity of the seashells of the WT should be of utility to conservators, and of interest to scholars of and visitors to the WT.

- by and +2
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- Art History, Cultural Heritage, Conservation, Public Art
- by Ricaurte Pacheco
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- Marine Biology, Geology, Paleontology, Paleoecology
- by Zainal A . Muchlisin
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- Aquatic Ecology, Malacology (Biology), Mollusks, Aquatic Biology

Exceptionally preserved fossils provide crucial insights into extinct body plans and organismal evolution. Molluscs, one of the most disparate animal phyla, radiated rapidly during the early Cambrian period (approximately 535–520 million years ago (Ma)). The problematic fossil taxa Halkieria and Orthrozanclus (grouped in Sachitida) have been assigned variously to stem-group annelids, brachiopods , stem-group molluscs or stem-group aculiferans (Polyplacophora and Aplacophora), but their affinities have remained controversial owing to a lack of preserved diagnostic characters. Here we describe a new early sachitid, Calvapilosa kroegeri gen. et sp. nov. from the Fezouata biota of Morocco (Early Ordovician epoch, around 478 Ma). The new taxon is characterized by the presence of a single large anterior shell plate and polystichous radula bearing a median tooth and several lateral and uncinal teeth in more than 125 rows. Its flattened body is covered by hollow spinose sclerites, and a smooth, ventral girdle flanks an extensive mantle cavity. Phylogenetic analyses resolve C. kroegeri as a stem-group aculiferan together with other single-plated forms such as Maikhanella (Siphogonuchites) and Orthrozanclus; Halkieria is recovered closer to the aculiferan crown. These genera document the stepwise evolution of the aculiferan body plan from forms with a single, almost conchiferan-like shell through two-plated taxa such as Halkieria, to the eight-plated crown-group aculiferans. C. kroegeri therefore provides key evidence concerning the long debate about the crown molluscan affinities of sachitids. This new discovery strongly suggests that the possession of only a single calcareous shell plate and the presence of unmineralised sclerites are plesiomorphic (an ancestral trait) for the molluscan crown.

- by Peter Van Roy
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- Evolutionary Biology, Paleobiology, Paleontology, Invertebrate Biology
- by Sergei Ostroumov
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- Water, Ecosystem Services, Water quality, Ecology

The demand for agricultural lime is high, considering its various uses from agricultural production to processing. Lime neutralizes soil pH. Shell lime may be a potential source of such lime where this study tries to investigate. This study determines the lime potential of three shellfishes, namely: Crassostrea iredalei (Oyster shell), Turritella terebra (Turret shell), and Anodontia edentula (Mangrove clam shell) as alternatives for commercially produced agricultural lime. The Hydrogen ion concentration (pH) and the lime concentration using Calcium Carbonate Equivalent (CCE) of each shellfish species were measured and tested for the enhancement of an acidic soil. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four treatments replicated three times. The treatments were as follows: Treatment A-100g agricultural lime; B-100g oyster shell lime; C-100g turret shell lime; and D-100g mangrove clam shell lime. Each treatment was combined to the acidic soil sample. The results were statistically analyzed using One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Least Square Difference (LSD) at 0.01 and 0.05 levels of significance. Results reveal that lime produced from the three selected shellfishes can be a potential source of alternative and/or supplement materials for agricultural lime in dealing with soil acidity, entailing lower cost of farm production.

- by Hene L Hapinat
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- Marine Biology, Environmental Science, Science Education, Organic agriculture

Sixty species belonging to 22 families of commercial bivalves of Cebu are described and illustrated in this paper. Notes on their size, distribution, habitat, utilization and some taxonomic remarks are also included. This paper is intended as a contribution to the present knowledge of the bivalve fauna of Cebu as well as that of the Philippines.

- by Filipina Sotto
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- Systematics (Taxonomy), Taxonomy, Mollusks, Mollusc Taxonomy

“Historia natural del Istmo de Panamá”. Bajo esta premisa se redescubren las bellezas del paisaje panameño, muchas veces desapercibido por las tribulaciones del día a día. Es imperativo para las actuales y futuras generaciones de hombres y mujeres valorar nuestro entorno, conservarlo y protegerlo. Para ello, es necesario saber de dónde venimos y hacia dónde vamos. Es así, como el libro: Historia Natural del Istmo de Panamá, trasporta al lector al corazón mismo, a los orígenes del istmo; recorriendo sus antiguos mares llenos de exuberante colorido y diversidad de especies. ¿Qué tan viejo es el Istmo de Panamá? ¿Cómo era el Istmo de Panamá antes de conectar Norte y Suramérica?, ¿Qué papel juegan las corrientes marinas en el clima?, ¿Qué tienen que ver los volcanes y la subducción en la formación del Istmo de Panamá?, ¿Por qué la vegetación costero litoral son distintas en ambos lados del Istmo de Panamá?, ¿Qué papel juega la pesca artesanal en el desarrollo de una nación?, ¿Qué diferencia un camarón de un cangrejo ermitaño? Si ambos son crustáceos... ¿Qué aprovechamiento se le está dando a los moluscos en Panamá? Todas estas preguntas o interrogantes han encontrado respuestas y muchas más. Las mismas han sido abordadas de una manera muy amena y sencilla, pero con mucho profesionalismo en cada uno de los capítulos presentados en este libro.

- by Félix Rodríguez-Mejía
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- Marine Biology, Geology, Paleontology, Paleoecology

Describing and monitoring biodiversity comprise integral parts of ecosystem management. Recent research coupling metabarcoding and environmental DNA (eDNA) demonstrate that these methods can serve as important tools for surveying biodiversity, while significantly decreasing the time, expense and resources spent on traditional survey methods. The literature emphasizes the importance of genetic marker development, as the markers dictate the applicability, sensitivity and resolution ability of an eDNA assay. The present study developed two metabarcoding eDNA assays using the mtDNA 16S RNA gene with Illumina MiSeq platform to detect invertebrate fauna in the Laurentian Great Lakes and surrounding waterways, with a focus for use on invasive bivalve and gastropod species monitoring. We employed careful primer design and in vitro testing with mock communities to assess ability of the markers to amplify and sequence targeted species DNA, while retaining rank abundance information. In our mock communities, read abundances reflected the initial input abundance, with regressions having significant slopes (p<0.05) and high coefficients of determination (R 2) for all comparisons. Tests on field environmental samples revealed similar ability of our markers to measure relative abundance. Due to the limited reference sequence data available for these invertebrate species, care must be taken when analyzing results and identifying sequence reads to species level. These markers extend eDNA meta-barcoding research for molluscs and appear relevant to other invertebrate taxa, such as roti-fers and bryozoans. Furthermore, the sphaeriid mussel assay is group-specific, exclusively amplifying bivalves in the Sphaeridae family and providing species-level identification. Our assays provide useful tools for managers and conservation scientists, facilitating early detection of invasive species as well as improving resolution of mollusc diversity.

- by Carol A Stepien
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- Invasive species ecology, Great Lakes, Metagenomics, Mollusks

Idaho has a large and varied terrestrial and lresflwater mollusk fauna that remains only partially studted or even named. As part of continuing research on t.he Idaho malacofauna we here present the first bibliography specifi cally on Idaho mollusks. Unlike many such, we include not only peer-reviewed publications in the so-called "standard" sctentific literature but also what is commonly termed the "gray" literature. This work lists 1354 entnes. II emphasizes modern finds of living species; however. references to Idaho Late Cenozoic (Late Miocene. Pliocene. Pleistocene. and Holocene) mollusk occurrences are also included. as is a short internet bibliography.

- by Edward Johannes
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- Freshwater Mollusks, Mollusks, Mollusca, terrestrial Mollusks
- by Rodrigo B . Salvador and +3
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- Conservation Biology, Land Snails, Brazil, Mollusks

One of the most quintessential components of colonial Caribbean foodways is imported saltfish. However, there has been little historical zooarchaeological research addressing the potential roles and values of fish and mollusks in English colonial foodways, particularly the local species. Betty’s Hope plantation in Antigua, British West Indies, has a substantial collection of historical archives called the Codrington Papers, which provides the basis for understanding the site’s historical daily life. This research employs an analysis of these archives compared to the fish and mollusk remains recovered from the site’s zooarchaeological assemblage, with the intention of understanding the extent to which local fish and mollusk resources were utilized. Despite the emphasis on saltfish in the archives and the almost total absence of references to mollusks, the zooarchaeological assemblage was dominated by local tropical fish taxa rather than imported saltfish. This not only informs on the types of fish consumed on the plantation, but also demonstrates selection preferences and practices between the Great House and the middle-class outbuildings that will contribute to the overall understanding of plantation foodways and daily life in the colonial Caribbean.

- by Alexis Ohman
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- Mollusks, Foodways, Caribbean, FISH

We review the freshwater and terrestrial mollusks of idaho. based upon historic data and sites collected between 1988 and 2000. This is the first complete such checklist since . As recognized here. the Idaho malacofauna Includes at least 266 taxa. There are at least 149 terrestrial taxa (128 land snails and 20 slugs), of which some 124 land snails and 8 slugs are thought to be native. Freshwater mollusks include some 117 taxa, about 87 gastropods (75 likely native); 7 larger bivalves or freshwater mussels and about 23 Sphaerlidae (fingernail clams). A substantial portion of the 1110llusk fauna (about 34%) is endemic to the State and a minimum of 17% (perhaps as high as 40% or more) is undescribed, suggesting that this element of the Idaho biota deserves considerable further attention from biologists. Many taxa have small ranges and are known from relatively few sites. GLOSSARY amnicole (n., adj.) Organism living only in or preferring stream environments; stream dweller. amniphlle (n.) Preferring stream environments; river-dweller by preference;

- by Edward Johannes
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- Freshwater Mollusks, Mollusks, terrestrial Mollusks

A new introduced species, Otala punctata (Müller, 1774) and new records in Chile for Cornu aspersum (Müller, 1774) and Deroceras laeve (Müller, 1774) are documented based on surveys carried out in northern and central areas of the country. The presence and distribution of these alien species are complemented with a comprehensive compilation of all 34 non-indigenous species of marine, freshwater and terrestrial Mollusca in Chile; until 1999, only 16 alien species were known in Chile. Most of these alien species are found exclusively in transformed habitats, few exist in natural environments. The mechanism of introduction for the majority of these non-indigenous species is unknown; however, horticultural development, urban and suburban transformation of original natural habitats, and the aquarium trade are the most likely pathways of introduction. The highest threat of alien species is direct competition and predation of native molluscs, especially the small native land gastropods. Education and continuous field surveys are vital to detect and prevent their propagation as well as to avoid introduction of additional alien taxa.

- by Juan Francisco Araya
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- Invasive Species, Freshwater Mollusks, Mollusks, Mollusc Taxonomy

Over the last 250 years of taxonomic descriptions of freshwater gastropods a large number of primary and secondary homonyms were produced. Several of them have now been uncovered in the course of a new database project. To overcome the associated nomenclatural problems we propose 10 replacement names: Theodoxus pseudodacicus nom. nov., Theodoxus stoicai nom. nov., Viviparus deleeuwi nom. nov., Viviparus lubenescuae nom. nov., Viviparus wesselinghi nom. nov., Melanopsis anistratenkoi nom. nov., Melanopsis gearyae nom. nov., Melanopsis magyari nom. nov., Melanopsis vrcinensis nom. nov., and Pyrgula rusti nom. nov. Additionally, we discuss taxa that might become secondary homonyms because of uncertain genus attributions. The genera Melanoptychia Neumayr, 1880 and Boistelia Cossmann, 1909 are synonymized with Melanopsis Férussac, 1807 in Férussac & Férussac, 1807 based on the lack of sufficient separation criteria. Involved combinations are expounded and recombined accordingly. The nomenclatural problems regarding Melanopsis costata Fuchs, 1870 (non Olivier, 1804) and Planorbis varians Fuchs, 1870 sensu Bandel (2010) are discussed.

- by Thomas A. Neubauer and +1
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- Paleontology, Freshwater Mollusks, Mollusks, Mollusc Taxonomy

Although terrestrial gastropods are remarkably diverse, our knowledge of them is still lacking, especially for species from the Global South. As such, new tools to help researchers collect data on these organisms are very welcome. With this in mind, we investigated Brazilian observations on iNaturalist to assess the feasibility of the data available on the platform as a basis for studies on the tropical terrestrial gastropod fauna. The observations on iNaturalist were filtered by country, Brazil, and higher taxa, namely Eupulmonata, Cyclophoroidea and Helicinoidea, yielding a sample of 4,983 observations. These observations were then reviewed in search of records of rare or little-known species, species found outside their previously known range, and interesting ecological interactions. Exotic species made up 35% to 39% of the sampled iNaturalist records. The most commonly observed species were Lissachatina fulica (Bowdich, 1822), Bradybaena similaris (Fe´russac, 1822), Drymaeus papyraceus (Mawe, 1823), Drymaeus interpunctus (E. von Martens, 1887), Limacus flavus (Linnaeus, 1758), Meghimatium pictum (Stoliczka, 1873), Cornu aspersum (O. F. Müller, 1774), Vaginulus taunaisii (Férussac, 1821), Ovachlamys fulgens (Gude, 1900), and Bulimulus tenuissimus (Férussac, 1832). In total, 166 observations were deemed of interest to our purposes (e.g., rare species, range extensions, ecological interactions), totalling 46 identified species and 16 observations identified at genus level. Among the selected observations, we found pictures of live specimens of species that were previously known only from their shells, such as Megalobulimus pergranulatus (Pilsbry, 1901), bringing to light their appearances in life. Two potentially new species belonging to the genera Plekocheilus Guilding, 1827 and Megalobulimus K. Miller, 1878 were revealed. Additionally, we found records of living individuals of two species that were previously presumed to be possibly extinct, Leiostracus carnavalescus Simone & Salvador, 2016, and Gonyostomus egregious (Pfeiffer, 1845). We take the opportunity to discuss individual records of interest, evaluate the quality of the data and possible improvements, as well the potential and implications of the use of the iNaturalist platform for research in Brazil and other tropical countries. While iNaturalist has its limitations, it holds great potential to help document biodiversity in the
tropics.

- by Rodrigo B . Salvador
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- Conservation Biology, Conservation, Land Snails, Malacology

The inorganic contamination of sediment and harvested molluscs was investigated in the mangrove environment of Southern West Senegal. Trace metals were analysed in surface sediments, two bivalves (Arca senilis and Crassostera gasar) and three gastropods (Conus spp., Hexaplex duplex and Pugilina morio) collected from four stations: Dionewar, Niodor and Falia localised in the Saloum Delta, and Fadiouth from the Petite Côte. A geochemical normalisation approach by using aluminium allowed for discrimination of sediment contamination among sites. Indeed, Fadiouth appeared highly contaminated with Cd, Hg and Ni compared to the Saloum Delta. For all mangrove sites, trace metals exhibited significant higher concentrations (on a dry weight basis) in shellfish compared to sediments, excepted for Ni and Pb. The distribution pattern followed a similar global trend in molluscs regardless of the spatio-temporal variability, with the predominance of Zn (80% of total metals) followed by Cu and Cd. However, strong differences of metal bioavailability and bioaccumulation in biota were demonstrated, revealing the requirement of employing a suite of organism bioindicators to monitor metal contamination in mangrove ecosystems. From an ecotoxicological point of view, trace metal levels in sediments from the Petite Côte and the Sine-Saloum Estuary were below the effects range-low (ERL) threshold limit of the sediment quality guidelines for adverse biological effects (SQGs). On the opposite, some concerns about Cd contamination of edible shellfish from Southern West Senegal were highlighted, from both the safety point of view of local populations’ health, and the chemical quality point of view of exported resources.

- by Luis Tito de Morais and +2
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- Trace Metals, Mollusks, Senegal

Herein, we revise an extensive set of mollusc fossils from the Upper Freshwater Molasse deposits of Öhningen palaeolake (SW Germany; Middle Miocene, MN7). Based on material housed in paleontological collections in Europe and North America, we present the first thorough systematic account of the phylum from this historic locality. A total of ten species were identified from Öhningen: three freshwater gastropods (Lymnaea dilatata Noulet, 1854, Gyraulus cf. applanatus (Thomä), Planorbarius mantelli (Dunker)), two terrestrial gastropods (Granaria cf. schuebleri (Klein), Palaeotachea sylvestrina (Schlotheim)), and five bivalves (Anodonta splendens Goldfuss, A. lavateri (Münster), Pseudunio flabellatus (Goldfuss), “Dreissena” sp., Pisidium escheri (Mayer-Eymar, 1865)). Three freshwater and five terrestrial gastropod genera mentioned in older literature could not be found in the available material. Ours is the first report of a Dreissenidae from Öhningen.

- by Rodrigo B . Salvador
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- Land Snails, Paleoecology, Malacology (Biology), Freshwater Mollusks

The extremely vast biodiversity represented by marine mollusks alongside their widespread utility as a source of food and their high nutritional value has aroused great interest from the scientific community. Furthermore, they can be caught with ease, and their commercial breeding and farming is rampant. This article comprehends the global availability of these organisms, their pretreatment and handling procedures, and their health-promoting potential with a focus on their antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. The emphasis herein is on their potential use in the food and nutraceutical industry. In addition, mollusks consumption as part of everyday diet can also be helpful in avoiding many ailments as they are rich in vital nutrients and active secondary metabolites, as well as have the ability to enhance immune response. Moreover, the available literature suggests that normal cooking practices have no notable adverse effects on their nutritional value and they retain certain bioactivities even after the action of digestive enzymes. Though mollusks have been widely studied in relation to the health-promoting effects reviewed here, there is still more scope for further research in this direction in order to fully utilize this enormous source of food and nutraceuticals.

- by Bilal Muhammad Khan and +1
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- Nutraceuticals, Mollusks, Functional Foods, Antimicrobial activity

The early Middle Miocene Lake Gacko was part of the Dinaride Lake System (DLS) and gave rise to a poorly known freshwater mollusk fauna. This was subject to malacological studies from the late 19th century onwards. Herein, we provide the first thorough taxonomic survey of Lake Gacko including revisions of several taxa. A total amount of 1,077 specimens was obtained from 17 samples, comprising at least 11 freshwater and 2 terrestrial gastropod species and 6 bivalve species. So far, none of the described taxa has been documented outside the Dinarides and the DLS, respectively. The fauna shows variable overlap with other paleolakes of the DLS, proofing once more the complex biogeographic patchwork of this system. The current paleoenvironmental reconstructions are tested and refined by application of a statistical analysis. This confirms the partition of the sedimentary history of Lake Gacko into three major depositional phases responding to astronomically forced climate changes. The low diverse mollusk assemblage in the initial phase, with abundant pulmonate and rissooid gastropods, signals a more arid climate with lowered lake level. During the second interval, the fauna becomes more diverse with common rissooid and melanopsid gastropods. It represents a more humid interval with enhanced precipitation and increased lake level, entailing the installation of a perennial lacustrine environment. The final phase is a return to arid conditions with the same elements as in the initial pulmonate-rissooid assemblage. The sphaeriid Pisidium vukovici n. sp. is introduced as new species.

- by Thomas A. Neubauer
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- Botany, Paleobiology, Systematics (Taxonomy), Zoology

Análises mais detalhadas em espécies de moluscos bivalves do Grupo Bauru (Cretáceo Superior, Bacia Bauru), depositadas na coleção científi ca Sérgio Mezzalira (IG/ SMA/SP), demonstram a preservação de feições musculares ainda não descritas para o táxon Anodontites nos estados de São Paulo e Minas Gerais. Tais feições, associadas à anatomia externa dos táxons, contribuem para o melhor entendimento do hábito de vida desses organismos dulciaquícolas que, provavelmente, estão intimamente relacionados às variações energéticas sazonais dos rios onde viviam. Apesar do registro esparso aqui notifi cado, as novas informações ampliam o panorama paleoecológico para os bivalves do Cretáceo Superior da Bacia Bauru.

- by Renato Ghilardi
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- Paleoecology, Mollusks, Cretaceous, Bivalves

RESUMEN Se presenta una síntesis de los megainvertebrados fósiles cretácicos organizados en un esquema estratigráfico por pisos, actualizan-do la información brindada en 1978 en el Primer Relatorio de la Geología del Neuquén. Dada la actual incertidumbre sobre la ubicación del límite Jurásico-Cretácico en términos bioestratigráficos, se provee inicialmente de una breve discusión sobre el tema. Se describe la presencia y distribución de diversos grupos de invertebrados tanto en ambientes marinos como continentales. Entre ellos moluscos tales como amonoideos, nautiloideos, bivalvos y gastrópodos asi como crinoideos y equinoideos, corales, briozoos, anélidos poliquetos, esponjas y crustáceos decápodos. En el Cretácico más temprano (Berriasiano-Hauteriviano) las faunas de invertebrados fósiles son dominantemente marinas, y abundan formas nectónicas y bentónicas asociadas a la transgresión del Océano Pacífico. En el Barremiano la diversidad y abundancia decrecen dramáticamente y se registran unas pocas especies marinas y continentales. Durante el Aptiano-Albiano las faunas de invertebrados se reducen a unos pocos moluscos de agua dulce. En el lapso Cenomaniano-Campaniano Temprano persisten los ambientes continentales y las faunas de invertebrados están restringidas a escasos bivalvos dulceacuícolas. Finalmente en el Campaniano Tardío-Maastrichtiano las sedimentitas marinas asociadas a la transgresión atlántica portan abundantes faunas bentónicas de moluscos y otros invertebrados y escasos elementos nectónicos. ABSTRACT Cretaceous megainvertebrates and their biostratigraphic significance.-A synthesis of the Cretaceous megainvertebrates is presented by stage. This is an update of the information presented in the first version of the Geology and Natural Recourses of Neuquén published in 1978. A brief summary of the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary is also provided due to the present uncertainties about its definition on biostratigraphic grounds. The text deals with the presence and distribution of several invertebrate groups, both in marine and continental settings. Among them mollusks such as ammonoids, nautiloids, bivalves, gastropods, as well as crinoids and echinoids, cnidarians, bryozoans, annelid polychaetes, sponges and decapod crustaceans. In the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian-Hauterivian) the fossil invertebrate fauna is mostly marine, with abundant nektonic and benthonic forms associated with the Pacific transgression. In the Barremian, the abundance and diversity decrease dramatically and only a few marine and continental species are recorded. During the Aptian-Albian the invertebrate fauna is reduced to few freshwater molluscs. The continental environments persist in the Cenomanian-Early Campanian and the invertebrates are restricted to scarce freshwater bivalves. Finally in the Late Campanian-Maastrichtian the marine sedimentites associated with the Atlantic transgression bear abundant benthonic molluscs and other invertebrates together with few nektonic elements.

- by Dario G . Lazo and +3
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- Biostratigraphy, Cretaceous ammonites, Mollusks, Cretaceous
- by Diego Gutiérrez Gregoric
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- Malacology, Freshwater Ecology, Malacology (Biology), Molluscan Biology

The present work displays the first detailed taxonomic study on the freshwater gastropod fauna of the Upper Miocene Lake Turiec. Apart from several mentions of species and genus names in the literature, the mollusc fauna has been poorly studied up to now. Some of the cited genera implied peculiar paleobiogeographic relationships, urging a taxonomic investigation to either prove or revise such arising claims. Variable degrees of preservation, however, limited the possibility to identify all the fossils at species level. The fauna includes at least ten species, of which five turned out to be new to science. Four of those were sufficiently well preserved to be described as new species, namely Viviparus pipiki Neubauer & Harzhauser nov. sp., Melanopsis glaubrechti Neubauer & Harzhauser nov. sp., Tournouerina turiecensis Neubauer & Harzhauser nov. sp., and Radix kovaci Neubauer & Harzhauser nov. sp. Additionally, the new genus Popovicia Neubauer & Harzhauser nov. gen. is introduced for the primary homonym Metohia Popović, 1964 non Absolon, 1927. Most importantly, this taxonomic study revises many of the names cited in the literature and proves most of the alleged paleobiogeographic relationships wrong. The only biogeographic and stratigraphic surprise is the record of Popovicia cf. compressa, a species described from lower Pliocene deposits of the Metohia Basin in Kosovo. The majority of the fauna, however, has only been documented for the Turiec Basin, once more confirming the high degree of its endemicity. The faunal relationships indicate a latest Middle to early Late Pannonian (Middle to Late Tortonian) age, which is in agreement with available age models.

- by Thomas A. Neubauer and +1
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- Paleobiology, Systematics (Taxonomy), Paleontology, Stratigraphy

Abstarct-The paper discusses a group of the Late Vendian fossils supposedly related to mollusks. The fossils include imprints with some anatomical characteristics of mollusks, traces resembling scratch marks left by radula, and structures resembling soft shells. Kimberella quadrata, which is represented by all the above kinds of fossils was most likely a trochophore animal of a pre molluscan evolutionary stage. Remains of Armillifera parva and Solza margarita only slightly resemble shells, and in the absence of the knowledge on the soft body of these animals they cannot be affiliated with mollusks.

- by Andrey Ivantsov
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- Mollusks, Russia, Ediacaran, Precambrian

This study includes the field researchs which take place in the project of MTA Natural History
Museum called“Oligocene Stratigraphy and Paleogeography of Turkey“. In this study, fauna of
middle Eocene aged Kocaçay Formation in the Kavak village, Delice, Kırıkkale was examined
and important datas about paleoecology were held out.
During the Tertiary era, Çankırı-Çorum Basin was one of the most important basins in Central
Anatolia, among the Tauride, Anatolide and Sakarya continents. That is an impact basin which
developed at the north branch of Neo-tethys (İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan ocean) and than formed
under the control of compression regime of Neo-Tethys Ocean during closure (Tüysüz ve
Dellaloğlu, 1995). There is a sequence with continuous sediment accumulation on the ophiolitic
basement from Paleocene to Pliocene in the basin (Karadenizli, 2003). This sequence shows
oceanic basin feature until Middle Eocene. After the Middle Eocene, sedimantation developed in
the form of continental facies.
Units of middle Eocene aged Kocaçay formation in the Kavak village, Delice, Kırıkkale consist
of sandstone, claystone and limestone at the top. In the study area, the Kocaçay formation shows
unconformity with ophiolites at the basement and early Oligocene İncik Formation at the top.
Kocaçay Formation includes plenty of foraminifera, echinoids, corals and mollusca faunas.
Samples from various levels contain 13 species (four pelecypod species and nine gastrapoda
species).
After the definitions we have found that the fauna belongs to Lutetian; according to the
paleoecological features environment was shallow and warm also, evolved in the shore facies
with detrital-carbonate mixture.

- by Mujde Gursoy and +1
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- Mollusks, Gastropoda, Bivalvia, Paleogene

Although epibiosis is common in polyplacophorans, we describe an unusual presence of epibionts and endobionts in a single adult specimen of Chiton articulatus collected in Guerrero, Mexico, from an eroded habitat of crevices with high wave activity. The epibiont and endobiont specimens covered nearly 90% of the central and lateral areas of the chiton valves while the border of mantle girdle showed no epibiosis. Crustose and filamentous algae, and crustacean arthropods from two common barnacle families, Chthamalidae and Balanidae, represent the observed epibionts. Polychaete (Annelida), bivalve mollusks from two families: Pteriidae (Pinctada mazatlanica) and Mytilidae (Leiosolenus aristatus), and crustacean arthro-pods from the burrowing barnacle family Cryptophialidae (Cryptophialus wainwrighti) represent the observed endobionts. In addition, finding of Cryptophialus wainwrighti represents a new geographic range extension from the type locality in Sinaloa to Guerrero. Epibiosis studies of invertebrates in the intertidal rocky shore, such as the dominant C. articulatus, can assist in understanding ecological relationships and patterns of diversity in coastal communities.

- by Laura Regina Alvarez-Cerrillo and +1
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- Marine Biology, Marine Ecology, Crustacea, Mollusks

The bulimulid genus Bostryx Troschel, 1847 is the most species-rich genus of land snails found in Chile, with the majority of its species found only in the northern part of the country, usually in arid coastal zones. This genus has been sparsely studied in
Chile and there is little information on their distribution, diversity or ecology. Here, for the first time, a formal analysis of the diversity of bulimulids in the Región de Atacama, northern Chile, is reported. Of the seventeen species recorded for the area, most of them were effectively found in the field collections and one record was based on literature. Five taxa are described as new: Bostryx ancavilorum sp. nov., Bostryx
breurei sp. nov., Bostryx calderaensis sp. nov., Bostryx ireneae sp. nov. and Bostryx valdovinosi sp. nov., and the known geographic distribution of seven species is extended. Results reveal that the Región de Atacama is the richest region in terrestrial snails in Chile, after the Juan Fernández Archipelago. All of the terrestrial molluscan species occurring in the area are endemic to Chile, most of them with restricted geographic distributions along the coastal zones, and none of them are currently protected by law. Further sampling in northern Chile will probably reveal more snail species to be discovered and described.

- by Juan Francisco Araya
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- Land Snails, Chile, Mollusks, Mollusc Taxonomy

The punctoid land snail family Charopidae, as currently defined, is a paraphyletic assemblage of taxa with Gondwanan distribution. It is represented in Africa largely by the pinwheels (genus Trachycystis and allies) and afrodontas (genus Afrodonta and allies), as well as a few additional genera, such as Reticulapex, Pilula, and Helenoconcha. Herein, a Bayesian inference phylogenetic analysis (using four molecular markers) is conducted to test whether these taxa belong to the Charopidae and, if so, what their position is in the phylogenetic tree. It is concluded that Reticulapex and Pilula do not belong to the Punctoidea and are thus transferred to the Acavidae and Helicarionoidea, respectively. The pinwheels and afrodontas form a monophyletic group, the most basal branch of “Charopidae”, here classified as the subfamily Trachycystinae. It possibly represents an old southern African lineage potentially dating back to the split of Gondwana, while the remaining “Charopidae” and Punctidae can be found in Zealandia and Australia, and later, in the Americas and Europe. If further studies support the present findings, the elevation of Trachycystinae to the family level might be warranted. Finally, Flammoconchinae is also identified as a New Zealand subfamily of “Charopidae”.

- by Rodrigo B . Salvador
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- Phylogenetics, Africa, Land Snails, Malacology
- by Robert Stallard
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- Marine Biology, Geology, Paleontology, Paleoecology

Since the beginning of the 2000s, the classic picture of Pleistocene hunter-gatherers as exclusively “inland hunters” is gradually changing thanks to a positive reassessment of the role of seashore resources. This article provides an updated picture of this question, centering on one case study: the outskirts of the Bay of Biscay during the Middle and Late Magdalenian. The evidence of coastal exploitation is reviewed and shows that several types of activities were recurrent and intensive enough to be documented in a number of sites and to yield abundant archeological remains spanning a long time period: the use of mollusks as food on the Cantabrian coast and the use of their shells as raw material for personal ornaments that circulate widely into the inland; the use of cetacean teeth and bones to manufacture a variety of objects circulating mostly in the northern Pyrenean range. The use of other resources (invertebrates other than mollusks, fish, birds, sea mammals as alimentary resource, algae, maybe drifted pumice) is documented but seems more occasional. Taken together, this evidence allow us to suggest the probable existence, at least in the Middle and Late Magdalenian on the southern outskirts of the Bay of Biscay, of a specific seashore economy established on a narrow coastal strip that is now all but submerged. Evidence from the eastern coast of the bay is much rarer, probably because of the greater distance of the sites from the Paleolithic coast but also maybe because of the presence of a coastal desert in Landes. The possible existence of a specific coastal equipment is discussed (Cantabrian harpoon heads?). These data are briefly put in a broader chronological and geographic perspective and their implications for our conception of the Magdalenian hunter-gatherers and the transition from Pleistocene to Holocene hunter-gatherers are discussed.

- by Jean-Marc Pétillon and +1
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- Maritime Archaeology, Marine Mammals, Upper Paleolithic, Mollusks
- by Edward Johannes
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- Freshwater Mollusks, Mollusks, Mollusca, Freshwater molluscs

The Rødhals kitchen midden was located on a tiny stretch of land 18 km from the nearest major landmass in present-day Denmark. It dates to the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition, roughly 4300 to 3700 cal BC. Its inhabitants practiced a remarkably broad-scale exploitation of marine resources spanning from the collecting of mollusks on the sea-shore, over open-sea fowling and deep-water angling to the killing of small whales. The sparse traces of terrestrial diet are mainly from cattle, sheep, pig and cereals dating to a late stage of the habitation. Strategic raw materials of bone and antler from large forest game were only occasionally imported from across the sea. In terms of artefact types and production modes, the material culture of Rødhals represents the ultimate stage of the local fisher-hunter-gatherer Ertebølle Culture and an initial stage of the farming-based Funnel Beaker Culture. The extreme marine adaptation seen at this site may reflect a historically extraordinary situation, where an indigenous population of foragers had lost major parts of its territory to immigrant farmers.

- by Anders Fischer
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- Mesolithic Archaeology, Flint (Archaeology), Mollusks, Neolithisation

ABSTRACT-A new species olKelliella (Bivalvia, Veneroida) from the Po Basin Pliocene is described. Due to the paleobathymetric range 01 the fossil assemblages associated with this small bivalve, Kelliella ruggierii sp. nov. seems to be exclusive or the deepest Pliocene mud-bottoms from the Po Basin. Moreover, this species shows remarkable affinities with some bathyal and abyssalliving Kelliellidae from Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

- by Cesare Tabanelli and +1
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- Paleoecology, Mollusks, Invertebrate Paleontology, Quaternary palaeontology

Riassunto-La presente nota elenca ed illustra alcuni materiali rinvenuti durante una escursione geologica nel giacimento dell'Oligocene inferiore della Valle del Ponte, localizza-to tra Laverda e Ponte (Lusiana, Vicenza, Italia nordorientale). Il livello è costituito da banchi di marne lignitiche, ora poco osservabili e per buona parte sepolte dai materiali detritici. La fauna è costituita da taxa lacustri con resti vegetali (foglie, semi), piccoli pesci, gasteropodi d'acqua dolce e salmastra, resti di anuri (Palaeobatrachus) e crostacei macruri, isopodi e ostracodi. Abstract-The present note wants to signal some materials recovery during a geologic excursion in the lower Oligocene bed cropping out in the Ponte Valley which is located among Laverda and Ponte (Lusiana, Vicenza-northeastern Italy). The bed is constituted by lignite marls, now not much visible and partly buried from debris. The fauna is constituted by lacustrine taxa with plant remains (leaves, seeds), small fishes, gastropods of fresh and brackish water, rests of the anuras (Palaeobatrachus), and macruran, isopod and ostracod crustaceans.

- by Ermanno Quaggiotto
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- Vertebrate Paleontology, Mollusks, Invertebrate Paleontology

PECTINIDS FROM THE PARANÁ FORMATION (MIOCENE) ENTRE RÍOS -ARGENTINA.-The three species of pectinids (Bivalvia: Pectinidae) from the Paraná Formation (Miocene) in the province of Ente Ríos are described. These are Aequipecten paranensis (d´Orbigny, 1842), Amusium darwinianum (d´Orbigny, 1842) and Flabellipecten oblongus (Philippi, 1893). Localities are listed and the importance of these bivalves in the determination of the paleoenvironmental conditions under which the bearing unit was deposited is assessed. Resumen: PECTÍNIDOS DE LA FORMACIÓN PARANÁ (MIOCENO) ENTRE RÍOS -ARGENTINA.-Se describen tres especies de pectínidos (Bivalvia: Pectinidae) proveniente de la Formación Paraná (Mioceno) de la provincia de Entre Ríos. Estas son Aequipecten paranensis (d´Orbigny, 1842), Amusium darwinianum (d´Orbigny, 1842) y Flabellipecten oblongus . Se enumeran las localidades donde se registran y la importancia de estos bivalvos en la determinación de las condiciones paleoambientales de la unidad cuando ésta se depositó.

- by Santiago F Genta Iturrería
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- Argentina, Mollusks, Invertebrate Paleontology, Miocene

Large, sinistrally coiled gastropod species have been reported under the genus name Kosovia Atanacković, 1959 from middle and late Miocene palaeolakes of central Serbia and Kosovo. Despite several papers dealing with the taxonomy and evolution of this genus, its systematic position and possible ancestry have been unresolved. Previously, it has been suggested that it may be a member of the Viviparidae, Lymnaeidae or Planorbidae, but without morphological criteria to support these assertions. In order to elucidate the systematic position of the genus, we investigated type material of the type species Kosovia matejici Pavlović, 1931, which is the oldest representative and is restricted to middle Miocene deposits of central Serbia. Embryonic shell characters support membership of the Planorbidae. Based on the congruence of all evaluated morphological characteristics, we attribute the species to the genus Bulinus, which makes Kosovia a junior subjective synonym of Bulinus. We discuss potential ancestry of the oldest representative and relationships among the species previously attributed to Kosovia. Our study emphasizes the importance of SEM-based examination of the protoconch to clarify the systematic position of problematic freshwater gastropods, especially when molecular data are absent.

- by Thomas A. Neubauer
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- Paleobiology, Systematics (Taxonomy), Taxonomy, Mollusks

A new species olKelliella (Bivalvia, Veneroida) from the Po Basin Pliocene is described. Due to the paleobathymetric range 01 the fossil assemblages associated with this small bivalve, Kelliella ruggierii sp. nov. seems to be exclusive or the deepest Pliocene mud-bottoms from the Po Basin. Moreover, this species shows remarkable affinities with some bathyal and abyssalliving Kelliellidae from Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. RIASSUNTO -[Kelliella ruggierii n. sp., un nuovo bivalve profondo del Pliocene Mediterraneo] -Viene descritta una nuova specie di Kelliella (Bivalvia, Veneroida) del Pliocene del Bacino Padano. In base alla paleobatimetria delle faune associate a questo bivalve di piccole dimensioni, Kelliella ruggierii sp. nov. risulterebbe esclusiva delle facies fangose più profonde del Pliocene Padano. E' rilevante inoltre l'affinità di questa specie con alcune Kelliellidae batiali ed abissali viventi degli Oceani Atlantico e Pacifico.

- by Cesare Tabanelli and +1
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- Paleoecology, Mollusks, Invertebrate Paleontology, Quaternary palaeontology

- by Andreas Kroh
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- Evolutionary Biology, Systematics (Taxonomy), Zoology, Paleontology

A lo largo del Cretácico la Cuenca Neuquina registra dos momentos distintivos de rocas marinas, uno que abarca el lapso Berriasiano-Barremiano temprano y otro, más restringido, que abarca el Maastrichtiano. En ambos intervalos se conocen abundantes faunas de invertebrados que han sido estudiadas por más de cien años, lo que ha permitido tener un razonable conocimiento desde el punto de vista sistemático. Sin embargo, no existe información actualizada sobre sus afinidades paleobiogeográficas. Estas afinidades están íntimamente ligadas a la evolución geodinámica de la Cuenca Neuquina. Durante el Cretácico temprano la cuenca estaba conectada con el océano Pacífico a través de un arco de islas, permitiendo la llegada de faunas norandinas y tethyanas a lo largo del margen occidental de Sudamé-AMEGHINIANA (Rev. Asoc. Paleontol. Argent.) -45 (3): 593-613. Buenos Aires, 30-09-2008 Abstract. PALEOBIOGEOGRAPHIC AFFINITIES OF THE CRETACEOUS INVERTEBRATES OF THE NEUQUÉN BASIN. Paleobiogeographic affinities of Cretaceous marine invertebrates of the Neuquén Basin are analyzed based on a recent systematic revision. Two different marine intervals are considered. The first one corresponds to the Berriasian-Early Barremian when the basin was connected to the Pacific Ocean through a volcanic arc. The second is restricted to the Maastrichtian, when the basin was open to the Atlantic Ocean. During the first, the nautilids are monospecific showing Andean affinities. The ammonoids are represented by six families of tethyan affinities. Twenty genera and subgenera are replaced in time through immigration events, alternating between Andean and pandemic forms. The bivalve fauna has tethyan affinities, although a significant number of taxa are endemic. The decapods show similarities with others from England and Germany. The echinoids are represented by seven genera of different paleogeographic distribution, including endemic or Andean forms and others with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution. Maastrichtian mollusk faunas show affinities with the Weddellian Province. Near the K/P boundary and during the Danian the weddellian forms were replaced by warm-waters taxa from northern Brazil, the Caribbean and northern Africa. It is proposed that during the Early Cretaceous, paleotemperatures in the Neuquén Basin were similar to those in the Tethys, but probably not so high, whereas for the Maastrichtian, a global cooling would have caused the northern expansion of Weddellian forms. Finally, around the K/P boundary, a new global warming probably enhances the replacement of these faunas by other typical from low latitudes.

- by Dario G . Lazo
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- Cephalopods, Paleobiogeography, Mollusks, Invertebrate Paleontology

A phylogenetic analysis using a combination of mitochondrial (COI, 16S) and nuclear markers (ITS2, 28S) indicated that Punc-toidea, as previously interpreted, is polyphyletic. It comprises two main groups, containing northern hemisphere (Laurasian) and predominantly southern hemisphere (Gondwanan) taxa respectively, treated here as separate superfamilies. Within Punctoidea sensu stricto, Punctidae, Cystopeltidae and Endodontidae form separate monophyletic clades, but Charopidae, as currently interpreted, is paraphyletic. Most of the charopid taxa that we sequenced, including Charopa coma (Gray, 1843) and other Charopinae, grouped in a clade with Punctidae but some charopid taxa from Australia and South America grouped with Cystopeltidae. Cystopeltidae previously contained a single Australia-endemic genus, Cystopelta Tate, 1881, but our analysis suggests that it is considerably more diverse taxonomically and has a much wider distribution. For taxonomic stability, we suggest that Charopidae be retained as a family-level group for now, pending further study of the systematic relationships of its constituent taxa. A new superfamily, Discoidea, is erected here for two Northern Hemisphere families, Discidae and Oreohelicidae, which were previously assigned to Punctoidea. The North American species Radiodomus abietum, previously in Charopidae, is also here assigned to Discoidea. The phylogenetic relationships of Helicodiscidae, previously assigned to Punctoidea, were not fully resolved in our analysis, but the family is apparently closely related to Arionoidea Gray, 1840 and infraorder Limacoidei.

- by Rodrigo B . Salvador
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- Phylogenetics, Molecular Systematics, Land Snails, Mollusks

In Palau, Micronesia, marine resources, particularly shellfish, played a vital role in human subsistence for millennia. Despite the vast array of molluscan species in archaeological assemblages, there is a dearth of data on nearshore palaeoecology or prehistoric shellfish foraging practices. In this study, we analysed stable oxygen isotopes (δ18O) values present in the calcium carbonate shell of Gibberulus gibberulus from the Chelechol ra Orrak archaeological site to reconstruct average nearshore sea-surface temperatures (SST) from approximately 1500–1100 cal BP. Modern shellfish samples and environmental data were collected from intertidal zones near the site and x-ray diffraction (XRD) was employed to identify the biomineralogical composition of G. gibberulus. These steps provide necessary information for the selection of the proper oxygen isotope-to-SST conversion formula. The selected formula was applied to δ18O samples from archaeological shells to reconstruct prehistoric SST averages. The results of this proxy validation study verify that G. gibberulus accurately records ambient SST and can be used to reconstruct ancient nearshore conditions. These findings also contribute to the establishment of an environmental baseline, which can be used to examine how environmental changes may have influenced the availability of molluscan taxa that in turn influenced human subsistence practices through time.

A living population of the alien species Cerithium scabridum Philippi, 1848 was found in the harbour of Otranto (Lecce), south-western Adriatic Sea. Photographs of the living animal and observations on its behaviour are presented. This... more

- by Paolo Albano and +1
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- Mollusks, Gastropoda, Gastropods, Invasive Alien Species

Resumo: A tafonomia de fósseis de moluscos bivalves depositados em coleção científica e coletados em afloramento do Grupo Bauru (Cretáceo Superior, Bacia Bauru), da região do município de Monte Alto, São Paulo, é analisada neste trabalho. A preservação dos organismos recristalizados em matriz carbonática indica remobilização do substrato por agente energético unidirecional, em momentos de maior vazão fluvial. Os espécimes com valvas conjugadas possuem sedimento interno similar ao externo, implicando uma baixa exposição dos organismos à Zona Tafonomicamente Ativa e sugerindo baixa mistura temporal dos bioclastos. A porção posterior fragmentada de forma truncada, encontrada nos exemplares de coleção científica, possivelmente está relacionada à incapacidade do táxon reescavar o substrato em períodos de seca. Os dois tipos de preservação encontrados corroboram evidências de outra natureza, que indicam paleoambientes fluviais no Grupo Bauru, na área estudada. Palavras-chave: Tafonomia. Bivalves fósseis. Formação Marília. Cretáceo Superior. Abstract: Bivalves mollusks fossils of Bauru Group (Late Cretaceous, Bauru Basin) deposited in scientific collections and collected in outcrops from Monte Alto municipality, São Paulo, are analyzed in their taphonomy. The preservation of recrystallized individual in carbonatic matrix indicates substrate remobilization by unidirectional energetic event in fluvial discharge.

- by Renato Ghilardi
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- Taphonomy, Mollusks, Cretaceous, Bauru Group