Shell variability in Tawera gayi (Veneridae) from southern SouthAmerica: A morphometric approach based on contour analysis

This study analyses the significance of shell morphological variations in the venerid clam Tawera gayi, a typical element of shallow marine soft bottoms in southern South America and the most common species recovered from Late Quaternary marine deposits along the Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego. Fo...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Gordillo, Sandra, Marquez, Federico, Cardenas, Javiera, Zubimendi, Miguel Angel
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2011
País:Argentina
Institución:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repositorio:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/93809
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/93809
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:BIVALVIA
MAGELLAN REGION
MORPHOMETIRCS
SHELL SHAPE
TAWERA GAYI
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Descripción
Sumario:This study analyses the significance of shell morphological variations in the venerid clam Tawera gayi, a typical element of shallow marine soft bottoms in southern South America and the most common species recovered from Late Quaternary marine deposits along the Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego. Fossil and modern Tawera shells from different localities around the southern tip of South America were analysed using the Elliptic Fourier Analysis (EFA) method. Taking into account the palaeontological history of this genus in the southern hemisphere, EFA was also performed on shells of Tawera congeners from South Africa (T. philomela) and New Zealand (T. spissa). The use of EFA permitted the distinction between the three Tawera species and geographical differentiation in the T. gayi groups. These morphological variations of T. gayi appear best related to ecophenotypic plasticity as a response to different environmental conditions, although the palaeobiogeographical history of Tawera in South America cannot be ruled out.