Malacology
Encyclopedia
Malacology is the branch of invertebrate
zoology
which deals with the study of the Mollusca
(mollusks or molluscs), the second-largest phylum
of animals in terms of described species
after the arthropod
s. Mollusks include snail
s and slug
s, clam
s, octopus
and squid
, and numerous other kinds, many (but by no means all) of which have shells
. One division of malacology, conchology
, is devoted to the study of mollusk shells.
Fields within malacological research include taxonomy
, ecology
and evolution
. Applied malacology studies medical, veterinary, and agricultural applications, for example mollusks as vectors of disease, as in schistosomiasis
.
Archaeology
employs malacology to understand the evolution of the climate
, the biota of the area, and the usage of the site.
In 1681, Filippo Bonanni
wrote the first book ever published that was solely about seashells, the shells of marine mollusks. The book was entitled: Ricreatione dell' occhio e dela mente nell oservation' delle Chiociolle, proposta a' curiosi delle opere della natura, &c.. In 1868, the German Malacological Society was founded.
Obvious zoological methods are used also in malacological research. Various malacological field methods and laboratory methods (such as collecting, documenting and archiving, mollecular techniques) were summarized by Sturm et al. (2006).
of mollusks are known as conchologists.
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
which deals with the study of the Mollusca
Mollusca
The Mollusca , common name molluscs or mollusksSpelled mollusks in the USA, see reasons given in Rosenberg's ; for the spelling mollusc see the reasons given by , is a large phylum of invertebrate animals. There are around 85,000 recognized extant species of molluscs. Mollusca is the largest...
(mollusks or molluscs), the second-largest phylum
Phylum
In biology, a phylum The term was coined by Georges Cuvier from Greek φῦλον phylon, "race, stock," related to φυλή phyle, "tribe, clan." is a taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class. "Phylum" is equivalent to the botanical term division....
of animals in terms of described species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
after the arthropod
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
s. Mollusks include snail
Snail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
s and slug
Slug
Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...
s, clam
Clam
The word "clam" can be applied to freshwater mussels, and other freshwater bivalves, as well as marine bivalves.In the United States, "clam" can be used in several different ways: one, as a general term covering all bivalve molluscs...
s, octopus
Octopus
The octopus is a cephalopod mollusc of the order Octopoda. Octopuses have two eyes and four pairs of arms, and like other cephalopods they are bilaterally symmetric. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms...
and squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
, and numerous other kinds, many (but by no means all) of which have shells
Mollusc shell
The mollusc shell is typically a calcareous exoskeleton which encloses, supports and protects the soft parts of an animal in the phylum Mollusca, which includes snails, clams, tusk shells, and several other classes...
. One division of malacology, conchology
Conchology
Conchology is the scientific or amateur study of mollusc shells. Conchology is one aspect of malacology, the study of molluscs, however malacology studies molluscs as whole organisms, not just their shells. Conchology pre-dated malacology as a field of study. It includes the study of land and...
, is devoted to the study of mollusk shells.
Fields within malacological research include taxonomy
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
, ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
and evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
. Applied malacology studies medical, veterinary, and agricultural applications, for example mollusks as vectors of disease, as in schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by several species of trematodes , a parasitic worm of the genus Schistosoma. Snails often act as an intermediary agent for the infectious diseases until a new human host is found...
.
Archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
employs malacology to understand the evolution of the climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
, the biota of the area, and the usage of the site.
In 1681, Filippo Bonanni
Filippo Bonanni
Filippo Bonanni or Buonanni was Italian Jesuit scholar, born in Rome. Among his many works of erudition are the two-volume Numismata Pontificum Romanorum in , and the Gabinetto Armonico in 1723, a splendid collection of 150 engravings of musical instruments from around the world.-Scientific...
wrote the first book ever published that was solely about seashells, the shells of marine mollusks. The book was entitled: Ricreatione dell' occhio e dela mente nell oservation' delle Chiociolle, proposta a' curiosi delle opere della natura, &c.. In 1868, the German Malacological Society was founded.
Obvious zoological methods are used also in malacological research. Various malacological field methods and laboratory methods (such as collecting, documenting and archiving, mollecular techniques) were summarized by Sturm et al. (2006).
Malacologists
Those who study malacology are known as malacologists. Those who study only shellsMollusc shell
The mollusc shell is typically a calcareous exoskeleton which encloses, supports and protects the soft parts of an animal in the phylum Mollusca, which includes snails, clams, tusk shells, and several other classes...
of mollusks are known as conchologists.
Societies
- American Malacological Society
- Association of Polish Malacologists (Stowarzyszenie Malakologów Polskich)
- Belgian Malacological Society (Société Belge de Malacologie) - French speaking
- Belgian Society for Conchology (Belgische Vereniging voor Conchyliologie) - Dutch speaking
- Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland
- Conchologists of America
- Dutch Malacological Society (Nederlandse Malacologische Vereniging)
- Estonian Malacological SocietyEstonian Malacological SocietyEstonian Malacological Society is an Estonia-based society concerned with the study of molluscs. It was founded in 1996. It is a branch of the Estonian Naturalists' Society. The organization participated in Operation MegaLab, a Europe-wide survey of land snails, in 2009...
(Eesti Malakoloogia Ühing) - European Quaternary Malacologists
- Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society
- German Malacological Society (Deutsche Malakozoologische Gesellschaft)
- Italian Malacological Society (Società Italiana di Malacologia)
- Malacological Society of Australasia
- Malacological Society of London
- Malacological Society of the Philippines, Inc.
- Mexican Malacological Society (Sociedad Mexicana de Malacología y Conquiliología)
- Spanish Malacological Society (Sociedad Española de Malacología)
- Western Society of Malacologists
Journals
Journals within the field of malacology include:- American Journal of Conchology (1865-1872) Details - American journal of conchology. - Biodiversity Heritage Library
- American Malacological Bulletin American Malacological Society
- Basteria Basteria
- Bulletin of Russian Far East Malacological Society The Bulletin of the Russian Far East Malacological Society
- The Festivus Festivus
- Fish & Shellfish Immunology Fish and Shellfish Immunology - Elsevier Folia conchyliologica Cernuelle - Bulletin
- Folia Malacologica Folia Malacologica Folia Malacologica
- Heldia http://www.conchbooks.de/contents/en-us/p342.html
- JohnsoniaJohnsoniaJohnsonia was a publication of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University from 1941-1975. It was founded by William J. Clench who named it after Charles W. Johnson who had been one of the men who convinced Clench to pursue the study of molluscs...
- Journal de Conchyliologie - volumes 1850-1922 at Biodiversity Heritage LibraryBiodiversity Heritage LibraryThe Biodiversity Heritage Library is a project for the digitization of literature on biodiversity. It was founded in 2005 and was initially formed by ten United States and British libraries....
; volumes 1850-1938 at Bibliothèque nationale de FranceBibliothèque nationale de FranceThe is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:... - Journal of Conchology Conchological Society – Journal of Conchology
- Journal of Medical and Applied Malacology Journal of Medical and Applied Malacology
- Journal of Molluscan StudiesJournal of Molluscan StudiesThe Journal of Molluscan Studies is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering research in malacology.Previous names of this journal include Proceedings of the Malacological Society, Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London The Journal of Molluscan Studies is a peer-reviewed scientific...
- MalacologiaMalacologiaMalacologia is a peer-reviewed scientific journal in the field of malacology, the study of mollusks. The journal publishes articles in the fields of molluscan systematics, ecology, population ecology, genetics, molecular genetics, evolution, and phylogenetics.The journal specializes in publishing...
Malacologica Bohemoslovaca Malacologica Bohemoslovaca - Journal about molluscs in Europe - Malacological Review - volume 1 (1968) - today. Instructions, contents of volume 27 (1996) - volume 40 (2009)
- Zeitschrift für Malakozoologie (1844-1853) http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/16292 → Malakozoologische Blätter (1854-1878) http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/15800
- Mollusca Mollusca Journal - 2007 to 2009 - The Last Issue - Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden
- Molluscan Research Molluscan Research - online contents - impact factorImpact factorThe impact factor, often abbreviated IF, is a measure reflecting the average number of citations to articles published in science and social science journals. It is frequently used as a proxy for the relative importance of a journal within its field, with journals with higher impact factors deemed...
: 0.606 (2007) - Occasional Papers on Mollusks (1945-1989), 5 volumes Ruthenica http://www.ruthenica.com/
- Strombus Strombus online
- Tentacle - The Newsletter of the Mollusc Specialist Group of the Species Survival CommissionIUCN Species Survival CommissionThe IUCN Species Survival Commission is a special commission operated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The commission's "major role is to provide information to IUCN on biodiversity conservation, the inherent value of species, their role in ecosystem health and functioning,...
of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. TENTACLE - The NautilusThe Nautilus (journal)The Nautilus is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering research in malacology. Hence its scope includes all aspects of the biology, ecology, and systematics of mollusks....
- since 1886 published by Bailey-Matthews Shell MuseumBailey-Matthews Shell MuseumThe Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum is a museum of seashells and conchology located in the city of Sanibel, Florida on Sanibel Island on the Gulf coast of Southwest Florida...
. First two volumes were published under name The Conchologists’ Exchange. Impact factor: 0.500 (2009) - The Veliger The Veliger - impact factor: 0.606 (2003) 貝類学雑誌 Venus (Japanese Journal of Malacology) http://ci.nii.ac.jp/vol_issue/nels/AN00410236_en.html
- Vita Marina Vita Marina (discontinued in May 2001)
- ZootaxaZootaxaZootaxa is a peer-reviewed scientific journal for animal taxonomists. It is published by Magnolia Press . The journal was established by Zhi-Qiang Zhang in 2001 and new issues are published multiple times a week...
http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/]
Museums
Museums that have either exceptional malacological research collections (behind the scenes) and/or exceptional public exhibits of mollusks:- Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia
- American Museum of Natural HistoryAmerican Museum of Natural HistoryThe American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
- Bailey-Matthews Shell MuseumBailey-Matthews Shell MuseumThe Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum is a museum of seashells and conchology located in the city of Sanibel, Florida on Sanibel Island on the Gulf coast of Southwest Florida...
- Cau del CargolCau del CargolThe Cau del Cargol Shells of the World Museum is a museum containing a large private collection of shells; it is situated in Vilassar de Dalt...
Shell Museum - Museum of Comparative ZoologyMuseum of Comparative ZoologyThe Museum of Comparative Zoology, full name "The Louis Agassiz Museum of Comparative Zoology", often abbreviated simply to "MCZ", is a zoology museum located on the grounds of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is one of three museums which collectively comprise the Harvard Museum...
at Harvard - RinayRinayRinay is a malacological museum of natural history in Baku . It is also the first private museum in the country. It exhibits approximately 5,000 clam shells from 86 genera worldwide....
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural SciencesRoyal Belgian Institute of Natural SciencesThe Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences is a museum in the Belgian capital of Brussels dedicated to natural history. Its most important pieces are 30 fossilized Iguanodon skeletons, which were discovered in 1878 in Bernissart. The dinosaur hall of the museum is the world's largest museum...
, Brussels: with a collection of more than 9 million shells (mainly from the collection of Philippe DautzenbergPhilippe DautzenbergPhilippe Dautzenberg was a Belgian malacologist, in other words, he was a biologist who specialized in the branch of invertebrate zoology that deals with mollusks...
) - Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
See also
- Invertebrate paleontologyInvertebrate paleontologyInvertebrate paleontology is sometimes described as Invertebrate paleozoology or Invertebrate paleobiology....
- History of invertebrate paleozoologyHistory of invertebrate paleozoologyThe history of invertebrate paleozoology differs from the history of paleontology in that the former usually emphasizes paleobiology and the paleoecology of extinct marine invertebrates, while the latter typically emphasizes the earth sciences and the sedimentary rock remains of terrestrial...
- Treatise on Invertebrate PaleontologyTreatise on Invertebrate PaleontologyThe Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology published by the Geological Society of America and the University of Kansas Press, is a definitive multi-authored work of some 50 volumes, written by more than 300 paleontologists, and covering every phylum, class, order, family, and genus of fossil and...
Further reading
- Cox L. R. & Peake J. F. (eds.). ProceedingsProceedingsIn academia, proceedings are the collection of academic papers that are published in the context of an academic conference. They are usually distributed as printed books either before the conference opens or after the conference has closed. Proceedings contain the contributions made by researchers...
of the First EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an Malacological Congress. September 17–21, 1962. Text in English with black-and-white photographic reproductions, also maps and diagrams. Published by the Conchological Society of Great BritainGreat BritainGreat 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...
and IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and the Malacological Society of LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1965 with no ISBN. - Heppel D. (1995). "The long dawn of Malacology: a brief history of malacology from prehistory to the year 1800." Archives of Natural HistoryArchives of natural historyThe Archives of Natural History is a peer-reviewed academic journal and the official journal of the Society for the History of Natural History. It publishes papers on the history and bibliography of natural history in its broadest sense, and in all periods and all cultures...
22(3): 301-319.
External links
- Periodicals about molluscs at WorldCatWorldCatWorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...