Morphometric Analysis of the Yellow Clam (Amarilladesma Mactroides) to Interpret Fragmentary Archaeological Specimens

Abstract

Mollusks were an important component in the diet of the hunter-gatherer groups that inhabited the coastal zones of South America during the Holocene, as recorded in the littoral shell and archaeological sites distributed from Brazil to Argentina. Although the shells are relatively resistant to physical and chemical agents, they are also fragile and various post-depositional processes affect their integrity. Puente de Fierro is an archaeological site located in the south of Buenos Aires province (Argentina), in which remains of the yellow clam (Amarilladesma mactroides) were recovered totally fragmented. We investigate if a morphometric model based on modern clams could be applied to estimate shell size and individual biomass of archaeological clams. Linear regression models reveal a high correlation between the chondrophore length and the shell length, and therefore, the individual biomass of the yellow clam.