Abstract
Biomineralisation in the radula teeth of chitons and its application to systematics in the Polyplacophora
Proceedings of the 2004 World Congress of Malacology, p.15
World Congress of Malacology (WCM): Molluscan megadiversity: Sea, land and freshwater, 2004 (Perth, Australia, 2004)
2004
Abstract
The major lateral radular teeth of chitons (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) are composite material, incorporating a variety of biominerals within an organic scaffold. Numerous studies, conducted over the past 30 years, have proposed that chiton teeth are comprised of a variety of iron and calcium minerals, such as the iron oxides magnetite, lepidcrocite, geothite, mahemite and limonite, along with calcium phosphates, such as fluroatite, crancolite and dahllite, or amorphous hyrous ferrous phosphates. While magnetite is ubiguitous to the major lateral teeth of all Polyplacophorans whose radule have been described to date, its distribution in these teeth is not constant. In some species it only covers the posterior (cutting) surface of the tooth, barely extending over the distal tip, while in others it wraps around the whole cusp. Unlike magnetite, the other biominerals are not common to all Polyplacophora, and the variety of mineralization strategies employed by chitons could well reflect phylogentic affinities, providing a basis for the utilization of biomineralization as a systematic tool in chitons. A current understanding of the biomineralization process in the major lateral radular teeth of chitons will be presented, along with an appraisal of the different biomineralization strategies employed by chitons. The systematic implications will then be discussed.
Details
- Title
- Biomineralisation in the radula teeth of chitons and its application to systematics in the Polyplacophora
- Authors
- Lesley R Brooker (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health and EducationA P Lee (Author) - Curtin UniversityD J Macey (Author) - Murdoch UniversityJ A Webb (Author) - Murdoch UniversityW Van Bronswijk (Author) - Curtin University
- Publication details
- Proceedings of the 2004 World Congress of Malacology, p.15
- Conference details
- World Congress of Malacology (WCM): Molluscan megadiversity: Sea, land and freshwater, 2004 (Perth, Australia, 2004)
- Publisher
- Western Australian Museum
- Date published
- 2004
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99449038002621
- Output Type
- Abstract
Metrics
1 File views/ downloads
582 Record Views