Conchology

Conchology(fromAncient Greekκόγχος(kónkhos)'cockle' and-logy) is the study ofmollusc shells.Conchology is one aspect ofmalacology,the study of molluscs; however, malacology is the study of molluscs as whole organisms, whereas conchology is confined to the study of their shells. It includes the study of land and freshwater mollusc shells as well asseashellsand extends to the study of agastropod'soperculum.

Calliostoma tigris

Shell ofLobatus gigas,the queen conch

Conchology is now sometimes seen as an archaic study, because relying on only one aspect of an organism'smorphologycan be misleading. However, a shell often gives at least some insight into molluscantaxonomy,and historically the shell was often the only part of exotic species that was available for study. Even in current museum collections it is common for the dry material (shells) to greatly exceed the amount of material that is preserved whole in alcohol.

Conchologists mainly deal with four molluscan orders: thegastropods(snails),bivalves(clams),Polyplacophora(chitons) andScaphopoda(tusk shells).Cephalopodsonly have small internal shells, with the exception of theNautiloidea.Some groups, such as the sea slugnudibranchs,have lost their shells altogether, while in others it has been replaced by aproteinsupport structure.

Versus shell collecting

A vendor inTanzaniawith a variety of largeseashellsfor sale

The termsshell collectorandconchologistcan be regarded as two distinct categories. Not all shell collectors are conchologists; some are primarily concerned with theaestheticvalue of shells instead of their scientific study. It is also true that not all conchologists are shell collectors; this type of research only requires access to private or institutional shell collections. There is some debate in the conchological community, with some people regarding all shell collectors (regardless of motivation) as conchologists.

History

Shell collecting, the precursor of conchology, dates back thousands of years. Archaeologists have sometimes uncoveredStone Ageoceanic seashell necklaces in areas far from the ocean, indicating that they were traded, and shell jewellery has been found at archaeological sites around the world.

Sea shells fromRecreatione dell'occhio e della menteby Filippo Bonanni

During theRenaissancepeople began collecting natural objects of beauty for privatecabinets of curiosities.Because of their attractiveness, variety, durability and ubiquity, shells frequently became a large part of such collections. Scientific interest began to develop towards the end of the 17th century, and in 1681 The Jesuit priestFilippo Bonannipublished the two-volume atlasRicreazione dell'occhio et della mente nell'osservazione delle chiocciole( "Recreation of the eye and of the mind in the observation of molluscs" ), the first treatise devoted entirely to mollusc shells.In 1692Martin ListerpublishedHistoria Conchyliorum,a comprehensive conchological text with more than 1,000engraved plates.

A plate from Lister's book, showing what he callsbuccinisshells

George Rumpf,or "Rumphius", (1627–1702) published the first genuine mollusc taxonomy. He suggested the categories "single shelled ones" (modernPolyplacophora,limpets,andabalone), "snails or whelks" (Gastropoda), and "two-shelled ones" (Bivalvia). He did not include the tusk shells or the internal shells of the cephalopods.

Many of Rumpf's terms were later adopted byCarl Linnaeus.The study ofzoology,including conchology, was revolutionized by Linnaeus and his system ofbinomial nomenclature.Six hundred eighty three of the approximately 4,000 animal species Linnaeus described are now considered to be molluscs, although Linnaeus placed them in several differentphylaat the time.The English word "conchology" was coined in the 1770s by the British Sephardi naturalistEmanuel Mendes da Costa,who publishedThe Elements of Conchology: or, an Introduction to the Knowledge of Shellsin London in 1776.

Since 1700 a number of prominent conchologists have published their studies of shells.John Mawe(1764–1829) produced arguably the first conchology guidebook,The Voyager's Companion or Shell-Collector's Pilot,as well asThe Linnæan System of Conchology.Hugh Cuming(1791–1865) is famous for his huge collection and numerous discoveries of new species.Thomas Saywrote the fundamental workAmerican Conchology, or Descriptions of the Shells of North America, Illustrated From Coloured Figures From Original Drawings, Executed from Naturein six volumes (1830–1834).

R. Tucker Abbottwas arguably the most prominent conchologist of the 20th century, authoring dozens of books and working as museum director of theBailey-Matthews Shell Museum.His most best-known works areAmerican Seashells,Seashells of the World,andThe Kingdom of the Seashell.John DuPontis also known for his extensive collection which he donated to theDelaware Museum of Natural Historyin 1984. The Japanese emperorHirohitoalso amassed a huge collection, and was a competent and respected amateur conchologist.

In 1950,Joyce Allan,an Australian conchologist working as curator of shells at theAustralian Museum,authoredAustralian Shells.This was the first book to catalogue the majority of Australian molluscs in detail and was highly regarded within the scientific community and mollusc collectors.

Museums

Many museums worldwide contain very large and scientifically important shell collections. However, in most cases these are research collections not as readily accessible to the general public as exhibits.

As of 2020the world's largest assemblage of mollusc shells was held by theSmithsonian Institution,which has c. 1 million lotsrepresenting perhaps 50,000 species.The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture also has a large collection which was donated by Dr. Phil Nudelman in 2013. It includes about 100,000 specimens and 24,000 species, mostly from the Indo-Pacific region, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean.

United States

• Academy of Natural Sciences,Philadelphia
• American Museum of Natural History,New York City
• Bailey-Matthews Shell MuseuminSanibel Island,Florida:the only museum in the world dedicated entirely to shells.
• Charleston Marine Life Center,Oregon Institute of Marine Biologyin CharlestonOregon
• Denver Museum of Nature & Science,Denver,Colorado:approximately 17,500 shell lots.
• Museum of Comparative ZoologyatCambridge,Massachusetts
• National Museum of Natural History,Washington D.C.– The Smithsonian has c. 1 million lots, the largest worldwide

Europe

• Austria,Vienna–Naturhistorisches Museum
• Belgium,Brussels–Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences,one of the three largest collections
• France,Paris–Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle900,000 lots, 5 million specimens
• Germany
  • Frankfurt–Naturmuseum Senckenberg,700,000 lots (33,000 living taxa, 12,000 fossil taxa)
  • Berlin–Berlin's Natural History Museum
• Netherlands,Leiden–Natural History Museum, Leiden
• Sweden,Stockholm–Swedish Museum of Natural History

United Kingdom

Source:

• London–Natural History Museum8 million specimens, 60,000 type specimens
• Cardiff–National Museum Cardiff,second largest UK collection, over 2 million specimens
• Manchester–Manchester Museum,fourth largest UK collection; 166,000 lots.
• Cambridge–Cambridge University Museum of Zoology,over 100,000 lots

Organizations

Like other scientific fields, conchologists have a number of local, national, and international organizations. There are also many organizations specializing in specific subareas.

• Association Française de Conchyliologie
• Belgian Society for Conchology
• Club Conchylia,the German/Austrian Society for Shell Collecting
• Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland
• Conchologists of America
• Conquiliologistas do Brasil
• Nederlandse Malacologische Vereniging
• Unitas Malacologica

Depictions of shells on stamps and coins

Shells have been featured on over 5,000postage stampsworldwide, and have been featured on many coins including theBahamian dollar(1974), theCuban peso(1981), theHaitian gourde(1973), theNepalese rupee(1989) andPhilippine peso(1993).

See also

• Category:Conchologists
• Midden

Sources

• National Geographic Magazine,March 1969, "The Magic Lure of Sea Shells", Paul A. Zahl
• Seashells of the Northern Hemisphere, 1990,Surrey,R. Tucker Abbott

External links

• The Bailey-Matthews Shell MuseuminSanibel Island
• A site for amateurs
• Beautiful Shells(1856) byH. G. Adams

Conchological organizations

• Association Française de Conchyliologie
• Conchologists of America
• Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland
• Club Conchylia, the German/Austrian Society for Shell Collecting
• Belgian Society for Conchology
• Conquiliologistas do Brasil