How did Mya arenaria (Mollusca; Bivalvia) repopulate European waters in mediaeval times?
| Autor: | Karel Essink, A.P. Oost |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
010506 paleontology
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences biology Pleistocene Ecology Biogeography Ocean current Biodiversity Aquatic Science Oceanography Bivalvia biology.organism_classification 01 natural sciences law.invention Geography law Biological dispersal Radiocarbon dating Mollusca Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics 0105 earth and related environmental sciences |
| Zdroj: | Marine Biodiversity. 49:1-10 |
| ISSN: | 1867-1624 1867-1616 |
| Popis: | During the Pleistocene, the coastal marine bivalve mollusc Mya arenaria became extinct in NW Europe. The species survived in Northern America. Radiocarbon dating of shells found in Denmark, The Netherlands and the southern Baltic Sea proves repopulation of NW European coasts already before Columbus’ discovery of America (1492). Petersen et al. (Nature 359: 679, 1992) hypothesised that this repopulation was facilitated by Vikings visiting Greenland and NE North America a few centuries earlier. In this paper, we discuss the feasibility of cross-Atlantic transport of Mya arenaria by ocean currents or via ‘stepping stones’, for both of which we found no supporting evidence. The long-lasting presence of Vikings in Greenland and NE America between c. 1000 and 1350 AD, provided several clues for shipping-related vectors to have assisted at the mediaeval dispersal of Mya arenaria from NE America to North Sea waters in Europe. Common elements in the genetic structure and diversity of M. arenaria in Northwest Atlantic and North Sea waters point towards the Northwest Atlantic coasts as probable area of origin and the North Sea as the first area of introduction in European waters. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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