Nassarius gibbosulus
| Nassarius gibbosulus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Neogastropoda |
| Superfamily: | Buccinoidea |
| Family: | Nassariidae |
| Subfamily: | Nassariinae |
| Genus: | Nassarius |
| Species: | N. gibbosulus |
| Binomial name | |
| Nassarius gibbosulus (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Nassarius gibbosulus, common name the swollen nassa, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Nassariidae, the Nassa mud snails or dog whelks.[1]
Description
The length of the shell varies between 15 mm and 20 mm.
Distribution
This species occurs in the Mediterranean Sea off Greece.
Use in prehistory
The oldest known jewelry in the world consists of two perforated beads made from shells of this species. These were discovered at Skhul in Israel, and were recently dated to between 100,000 and 135,000 years ago.[2][3] Similar ornaments (some made from Nassarius kraussianus and the bittersweet clam Glycymeris nummaria as well as Nassarius gibbosulus) have been discovered at a number of Middle Paleolithic sites and are considered a key piece of evidence for the theory that early anatomically modern humans in Africa and the Levant were more culturally sophisticated than had previously been thought.[4][5][6] In some cases the shells have been transported a considerable distance from the species' natural habitat. One example is the site of Oued Djebbana in Algeria, for example, where an N. gibbosulus bead has been found; this site was at least 190 km away from the sea at the time the shell was used there.[3]
References
- 1 2 Nassarius gibbosulus (Linnaeus, 1758). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 24 October 2012.
- ↑ Balter, M. (Jun 2006). "Archaeology. First jewelry? Old shell beads suggest early use of symbols.". Science 312 (5781): 1731. doi:10.1126/science.312.5781.1731. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 16794051.
- 1 2 Vanhaereny, M.; d'Errico, F.; Stringer, C.; James, S. L.; Todd, J. A.; Mienis, H. K. (2006). "Middle Paleolithic Shell Beads in Israel and Algeria". Science 312 (5781): 1785–1788. doi:10.1126/science.1128139. PMID 16794076.
- ↑ d'Errico, F.; Henshilwood, C.; Vanhaeren, M.; Van Niekerk, K. (2005). "Nassarius kraussianus shell beads from Blombos Cave: Evidence for symbolic behaviour in the Middle Stone Age". Journal of Human Evolution 48 (1): 3–24. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.09.002. PMID 15656934.
- ↑ Bouzouggar, A.; Barton, N.; Vanhaeren, M.; d'Errico, F.; Collcutt, S.; Higham, T.; Hodge, E.; Parfitt, S.; Rhodes, E.; Schwenninger, J. -L.; Stringer, C.; Turner, E.; Ward, S.; Moutmir, A.; Stambouli, A. (2007). "82,000-year-old shell beads from North Africa and implications for the origins of modern human behavior". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104 (24): 9964–9. doi:10.1073/pnas.0703877104. PMC 1891266. PMID 17548808.
- ↑ d'Errico, F.; Vanhaeren, M.; Barton, N.; Bouzouggar, A.; Mienis, H.; Richter, D.; Hublin, J. -J.; McPherron, S. P.; Lozouet, P. (2009). "Out of Africa: Modern Human Origins Special Feature: Additional evidence on the use of personal ornaments in the Middle Paleolithic of North Africa". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106 (38): 16051–6. doi:10.1073/pnas.0903532106. PMC 2752514. PMID 19717433.
- Cernohorsky W. O. (1984). Systematics of the family Nassariidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Bulletin of the Auckland Institute and Museum 14: 1-356.
- Oliverio M. & Tringali L. (1992). Two sibling species of Nassariinae in the Mediterranean Sea (Prosobranchia, Muricidae, Nassariinae). Bollettino Malacologico 28(5-12): 157-160
- Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213