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Dentalium (genus)
Encyclopedia
Dentalium is a large genus
of tooth shells or tusk shell
s, marine
scaphopod molluscs in the family Dentaliida
e. It has fifty described species.
are known to have been used by the Chumash people at least as early as circa 1000 AD, in the Morro Bay area.
, and apothecaries would pulverize them for use in several preparations. The shell used for this purpose was described by Joseph Pitton de Tournefort
in London in the 18th century as being "of a tubular, or conical form, about 3 inches long; of a shining, greenish white; hollow; light, and divided lengthwise by parallel lines, running from top to bottom. It is about the thickness of a feather, and bears some resemblance to a canine tooth." However, it was considered at that time to be very rare, and in lieu of that, another shell was usually substituted. This was described as a multi-colored shell found in the sand where the tide had fallen; this shell was not channeled, or fluted. The large green shell to which the writer first refers must have been either Dentalium elephantinum or Dentalium aprinum, both of which are large and greenish, and live in the Indo-Pacific
zone. The other shell was presumably another species, possibly Dentalium entale, which is native to Great Britain
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of tooth shells or tusk shell
Tusk shell
The tusk shells or scaphopods are a class of shelled marine mollusks. The scientific name of this class is Scaphopoda, meaning "shovel-footed". Shells of species within this class range from about 0.5 to 15 cm in length...
s, marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
scaphopod molluscs in the family Dentaliida
Dentaliida
Dentaliida is one of the two orders of scaphopod mollusks, commonly known as elephant's tusk shells. The order Dentaliida contains most of the larger scaphopods.-Families:* Anulidentaliidae* Calliodentaliidae* Dentaliidae* Fustiariidae* Gadilidae...
e. It has fifty described species.
Native Americans
The shells of Dentalium neohexagonumDentalium neohexagonum
Dentalium neohexagonum is a species of tusk shell in the family Dentaliidae. As the Latin name implies, the cross section of this shell is hexagonal; hence its common name is six-sided tusk shell....
are known to have been used by the Chumash people at least as early as circa 1000 AD, in the Morro Bay area.
18th century European use
In pre-modern medicine, these shells were considered an excellent alkaliAlkali
In chemistry, an alkali is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal element. Some authors also define an alkali as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a soluble base has a pH greater than 7. The adjective alkaline is commonly used in English as a synonym for base,...
, and apothecaries would pulverize them for use in several preparations. The shell used for this purpose was described by Joseph Pitton de Tournefort
Joseph Pitton de Tournefort
Joseph Pitton de Tournefort was a French botanist, notable as the first to make a clear definition of the concept of genus for plants.- Biography :...
in London in the 18th century as being "of a tubular, or conical form, about 3 inches long; of a shining, greenish white; hollow; light, and divided lengthwise by parallel lines, running from top to bottom. It is about the thickness of a feather, and bears some resemblance to a canine tooth." However, it was considered at that time to be very rare, and in lieu of that, another shell was usually substituted. This was described as a multi-colored shell found in the sand where the tide had fallen; this shell was not channeled, or fluted. The large green shell to which the writer first refers must have been either Dentalium elephantinum or Dentalium aprinum, both of which are large and greenish, and live in the Indo-Pacific
Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...
zone. The other shell was presumably another species, possibly Dentalium entale, which is native to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
Species
Species within the genus Dentalium include:- Dentalium aciculum Gould, 1859
- Dentalium adenense Ludbrook, 1954
- Dentalium agassizi Pilsbry and Sharp, 1897 stained tuskshell
- Dentalium americanum Chenu, 1843 American tuskshell
- Dentalium antillarum D'Orbigny, 1842
- Dentalium bartletti Henderson, 1920
- Dentalium calamus Dall, 1889
- Dentalium callipeplum Dall, 1889
- Dentalium callithrix Dall, 1889
- Dentalium carduum Dall, 1889
- Dentalium ceratum (Dall, 1881)
- Dentalium circumcinctum Watson, 1879
- Dentalium dalli Pilsbry and Sharp, 1897
- Dentalium diarrhoxDentalium diarrhoxDentalium diarrhox is a tusk shell of the family Dentaliidae, endemic to New Zealand waters. It is found north east of East Cape at about 1,300 m, on the Chatham Rise at about 220 m, and in the Tasman Sea at about 610 m....
Watson, 1879 - Dentalium didymum Watson, 1879
- Dentalium eboreum ConradTimothy Abbott ConradTimothy Abbott Conrad was an American geologist, malacologist and carcinologist.- External links :* at Internet Archive...
, 1846 - Dentalium ecostatumDentalium ecostatumDentalium ecostatum is a tusk shell of the family Dentaliidae, endemic to New Zealand waters....
T W Kirk, 1880 - Dentalium ensiculus Jeffereys, 1877
- Dentalium entale entale (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Dentalium entale stimpsoni (Henderson, 1920)
- Dentalium entale Linnaeus, 1758
- Dentalium floridense J. B. Henderson, 1920
- Dentalium glaucarenaDentalium glaucarenaDentalium glaucarena is a tusk shell of the family Dentaliidae.- Distribution :Endemic in waters of New Zealand....
DellRichard DellDr Richard Kenneth Dell was a New Zealand malacologist. He was born in Auckland. As a young boy, he took an interest in shells, collecting them from the shores of Waitemata Harbour. He even managed to start a "museum" in his backyard...
, 1953 - Dentalium gouldiiDentalium gouldiiDentalium gouldii, the Gould tuskshell, is a species in the genus Dentalium....
Dall, 1889 gould tuskshell - Dentalium inversum DeshayesGérard Paul DeshayesGérard Paul Deshayes was a French geologist and conchologist.He was born in Nancy, his father at that time being professor of experimental physics in the École Centrale of the Meurthe département....
, 1825 - Dentalium laqueatum A. E. Verrill, 1885 reticulate tuskshell
- Dentalium liodon Pilsbry and Sharp, 1897
- Dentalium longitrorsumDentalium longitrorsumDentalium longitrorsum is a tusk shell of the family Dentaliidae.It is a slender long shell of about 100mm White with a slight curve and both openings circular....
Reeve, 1842 - Dentalium meridionale Pilsbry and Sharp, 1897
- Dentalium nanumDentalium nanumDentalium nanum is a tusk shell of the family Dentaliidae, endemic to New Zealand waters....
HuttonFrederick Wollaston HuttonCaptain Frederick Wollaston Hutton, FRS, was an English scientist who applied the theory of natural selection to explain the origins and nature of the natural history of New Zealand.- Biography :...
, 1873 - Dentalium neohexagonumDentalium neohexagonumDentalium neohexagonum is a species of tusk shell in the family Dentaliidae. As the Latin name implies, the cross section of this shell is hexagonal; hence its common name is six-sided tusk shell....
Sharp and Pilsbry, 1897 hexagon tuskshell - Dentalium occidentale Stimpson, 1851
- Dentalium ophiodon Dall, 1881
- Dentalium perlongum Dall, 1881
- Dentalium pilsbryi Rehder, 1942
- Dentalium pretiosum Sowerby, 1860
- Dentalium rebeccaense Henderson, 1920
- Dentalium rectius CarpenterPhillip Pearsall CarpenterPhilip Pearsall Carpenter Rev. Dr. , who in 1841, was ordained Presbyterian minister in England, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in 1860, and whose field work as a malacologist or conchologist in North America is still well regarded today...
, 1864 - Dentalium semistriolatum Guilding, 1834
- Dentalium sowerbyi Guilding, 1834
- Dentalium stenochizum Pilsbry and Sharp, 1897
- Dentalium suteriDentalium suteriDentalium suteri is a tusk shell of the family Dentaliidae, endemic to New Zealand waters....
Emerson, 1954 - Dentalium taphrium Dall, 1889
- Dentalium texasianum PhilippiRodolfo Amando PhilippiRodolfo Amando Philippi was a German-Chilean paleontologist and zoologist....
, 1848 - Dentalium tiwhanaDentalium tiwhanaDentalium tiwhana is a tusk shell of the family Dentaliidae, endemic to New Zealand waters....
DellRichard DellDr Richard Kenneth Dell was a New Zealand malacologist. He was born in Auckland. As a young boy, he took an interest in shells, collecting them from the shores of Waitemata Harbour. He even managed to start a "museum" in his backyard...
, 1953 - Dentalium tubulatum Henderson, 1920
- Dentalium vallicolens Raymond, 1904 trench tuskshell
- Dentalium vitreum SarsGeorg SarsGeorg Ossian Sars was a Norwegian marine biologist.Georg Ossian Sars was born on April 20, 1837, in Kinn, Norway , the son of Michael Sars and Maren Sars; the historian Ernst Sars was his elder brother, and the singer Eva Nansen was his younger sister. He grew up in Manger, Hordaland, where his...
, 1851 - Dentalium vulgare da Costa, 1778
- Dentalium zelandicumDentalium zelandicumDentalium zelandicum is a tusk shell of the family Dentaliidae, endemic to New Zealand waters....
Sowerby, 1860