Evolution of Substratum Preference in Bivalves (Mollusca)

The occurrence of abundant Lampsilis radiata siliquoidea (Unionidae), a filter-feeding bivalve living on muddy substrata in the western basin of Lake Erie, has led to the evaluation of extrinsic environmental factors that affect the realized adaptive potential of the bivalve form. Comparison of subs...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of paleontology 1979-01, Vol.53 (1), p.112-120
Main Authors: Michael J. S. Tevesz, McCall, Peter L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Burrowing
Ecological competition
Ecological niches
Fresh water
Freshwater ecology
Marine ecology
Mud
Population ecology
Predation
Sediments
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The occurrence of abundant Lampsilis radiata siliquoidea (Unionidae), a filter-feeding bivalve living on muddy substrata in the western basin of Lake Erie, has led to the evaluation of extrinsic environmental factors that affect the realized adaptive potential of the bivalve form. Comparison of substratum specificity of marine and freshwater bivalves shows that niche width is broader in freshwater forms because of such factors as reduced competition and predation pressure. The identification of these selective pressures which led to the evolution of substratum preference in bivalves strongly suggests that knowledge of the life habits of modern marine invertebrates is not sufficient to reconstruct the paleoecology of fossil forms. Any conclusions regarding paleoecology of a fossil group must also take into account selective pressures that may be reflected in such factors as the life position, orientation, and lithological associations of the fossils.
ISSN:0022-3360
1937-2337