Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Earth Sciences

PDF

University of North Dakota

Theses and Dissertations

2005

Freshwater mussels--Montana--Morphology; Unionidae--Montana--Morphology; Biology--Classification; Cladistic analysis

Articles 1 - 1 of 1

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Reevaluation Of Species Concepts Of Uppermost Cretaceous Unionidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia) : Hell Creek Formation, Montana, U.S.A., Marron J. Bingle Jan 2005

Reevaluation Of Species Concepts Of Uppermost Cretaceous Unionidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia) : Hell Creek Formation, Montana, U.S.A., Marron J. Bingle

Theses and Dissertations

Species are the basic units of life relative to taxonomy, and a practical definition of species is imperative to paleontology in order to promote reproducible, unambiguous criteria for accurately interpreting past species relationships. The need for a well-defined rubric for identifying species is evident in the freshwater mussel assemblage (Family Unionidae) in the Hell Creek Formation. The Hell Creek Formation unionid species were first described by Whitfield in 1903 and 1907. His descriptions were often based on differences of a single trait. In 197 6, Russell reevaluated the original species descriptions, I but still based the classification of species on …