Freshwater Molluscs

Abstract

Summary: Freshwater mollusc shells are among the best and most extensively preserved fossils in lacustrine sediments. These molluscs are useful because they occur in a broad range of paleoenvironments. As a result, they have been used to reconstruct former stream confluences, provide a basis for biostratigraphic zonation of sedimentary sequences in lake basins, and reconstruct habitat and climatic conditions. Because many Quaternary and particularly Holocene species found in lacustrine sediments are extant, knowledge of the taxonomy, ecology, distribution, and biogeochemistry of living representatives has considerable value for reconstructing ancient environments and climates.