The Shell Structure And Mineralogy Of The Bivalvia

This is the annual journal of the Marine Biological Association of Hong Kong. It contains papers on marine subjects of interest to all Asian biologists.

Bivalves are key components of recent marine and freshwater ecosystems and have been so for most of the Phanerozoic. Their rich and long fossil record, combined with their abundance and diversity in modern seas, has made bivalves the ideal subject of palaeobiological and evolutionary studies. Despite this, however, topics such as the early evolution of the class, relationships between various taxa and the life habits of some key extinct forms have remained remarkably unclear. This volume integrates palaeontological and zoological approaches and sheds new light on the course of bivalve evolution.

Littoral gastropods of the families Littorinidae and Muricidae are well studied compared to most marine taxa, yet there remain many basic problems concerning their taxonomy, ecology and evolutionary biology. In other words, we know these snails well enough to realize just how little we really know about them. This awareness prompted the First European Meeting on Littorinid Biology held at the British Museum in London on 26th November 1986, and the discussion continued through the Second Meeting on Littorinid Biology, held at the Tjarno Marine Biological Laboratory, Sweden, from 4th to 8th July 1988. During the Tjiirno meeting, it was agreed to have a third meeting at Dale, Pembroke shire, U.K. in 1990. Twenty-two people attended the Tjarno meeting, and a further ten contributed as co-authors to the papers that were presented. These covered research in progress in a broad range of topics, and geo graphical areas. Unfortunately, Cesare Sacchi and Domenico Voltolina, as well as Elisabeth Boulding were not able to attend the meeting in person, but their contributions were ably presented by David Reid and Richard Palmer, respectively. We also regret that one of us, C.E., and several of our Russian colleagues, did not have the opportunity to come.

The culmination of a ten-year study, Bivalve Seashells of Western North America treats all bivalve mollusks living from northern Baja California, Mexico to Arctic Alaska. A total of 472 species are described and illustrated with detailed photographs and drawings. All habitats in the region are included from the intertidal splash zone to the abyssal depths of the ocean basins. The book has over 4,800 complete bibliographic references to the bivalves, including citations on the biology, physiology, ecology, and taxonomy of this commercially and biologically important group. Character tables and dichotomous keys assist the reader in identification. Also included in the 764 page book is an illustrated key to the superfamiles of the region, and a complete glossary.

This work takes a critical look at the current concept of isotopic landscapes ("isoscapes") in bioarchaeology and its application in future research. It specifically addresses the research potential of cremated finds, a somewhat neglected bioarchaeological substrate, resulting primarily from the inherent osteological challenges and complex mineralogy associated with it. In addition, for the first time data mining methods are applied. The chapters are the outcome of an international workshop sponsored by the German Science Foundation and the Centre of Advanced Studies at the Ludwig-Maximilian-University in Munich. Isotopic landscapes are indispensable tracers for the monitoring of the flow of matter through geo/ecological systems since they comprise existing temporally and spatially defined stable isotopic patterns found in geological and ecological samples. Analyses of stable isotopes of the elements nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, strontium, and lead are routinely utilized in bioarchaeology to reconstruct biodiversity, palaeodiet, palaeoecology, palaeoclimate, migration and trade. The interpretive power of stable isotopic ratios depends not only on firm, testable hypotheses, but most importantly on the cooperative networking of scientists from both natural and social sciences. Application of multi-isotopic tracers generates isotopic patterns with multiple dimensions, which accurately characterize a find, but can only be interpreted by use of modern data mining methods.

Sir Charles Maurice Yonge who died in 1986 was the foremost authority on the Bivalvia and one of the greatest marine biologists of this century. The volume is a memorial to his achievements and comprises 22 papers presented at a symposium in his honour during the IX International Malacological Congress, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1986. It contains 4 sections: Evolution, Feeding and Digestion, Functional Morphology, and Ecology, and will be of interest to all students of the Mollusca.