1. Characterising Inter-Individual Growth Variability of Patella vulgata Shell Through Calcein Marking Experiments: Consequences for Palaeo-Environmental Studies
- Author
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Jean-François Cudennec, Yves-Marie Paulet, Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin (LEMAR) (LEMAR), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer (IUEM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Interdisciplinary Graduate School for the Blue planet, ANR-17-EURE-0015,ISBlue,Interdisciplinary Graduate School for the Blue planet(2017), and ANR-10-LABX-0019,LabexMER,LabexMER Marine Excellence Research: a changing ocean(2010)
- Subjects
010506 paleontology ,Archeology ,060102 archaeology ,biology ,Ecology ,Shell (structure) ,Subsistence agriculture ,06 humanities and the arts ,Environmental Science (miscellaneous) ,biology.organism_classification ,01 natural sciences ,Calcein ,Environmental studies ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Geography ,chemistry ,[SDE]Environmental Sciences ,0601 history and archaeology ,14. Life underwater ,Patella vulgata ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences - Abstract
International audience; Sclerochronological data from archaeological shell middens provides crucial information about past environments and subsistence practices of coastal human populations. These studies rely on a strong knowledge of species-specific growth patterns, as it is the main driver of the quantity and quality of information recorded in biogenic carbonates. The limpet Patella vulgata is highly represented in eastern Atlantic shell middens. In this study, the micro-increment formation of its shell was investigated through in situ marking experiments, using calcein fluorochrome (150 mg.L−1) coupled with cohort study and local SST recording. Calcein-stained growth structures confirmed the efficacy of the fluorochrome, and our results shows a disturbed tidal increment formation, with on average more than one increment per day, but less than one increment per tide. Growth is not mainly influenced by environmental factors, but could be forced by competition among limpets and endogenous factor (age and sex), resulting in a highly heterogenous population in terms of growth rates. Growth interruption could not be detected solely by micro-increment observation, causing a major issue for cross-calibration with recorded temperatures, sclerochronological estimation of growth and isotopic profiles. For palaeo-environmental application, we recommend to consider that there is no general population pattern, even at a micro-habitat scale.
- Published
- 2021