서산 대죽리 패총에서 출토된 말백합 Meretrix petechialis (Lamarck)의 성장 연구

Abstract

In this study, growth-line analysis was carried out on the hard clam (Meretrix petechialis) collected from the Neolithic shell middens in Daejuk-ri, Seosan, Korea, to reconstruct palaeoenvironment. Growth increments of 206 specimens of the clam were examined. The ages of the specimens were determined from the rings on the shells. The relationship between shell length and ring radius in each ring group was expressed as a regression line, indicating a correspondence in each ring formation. Growth pattern of the midden specimens was compared to that of modern ones collected from Gimje, Jeonbuk. Growth curves for shell length fitted to the von Berta anffy's growth curve were expressed respectively as follows: SL t  e t  in the shell midden specimens, SL t e t  in the modern ones. The relationship between shell length (SL; mm) and shell height (SH; mm) was expressed by the following equations: SH = 0.7791 SL + 3.6636 (R 2 = 0.946) in the midden specimens, SH = 0.8103 SL + 0.5145 (R 2 = 0.991) in the modern ones. The results of the tests regarding the differences between regression coefficients and elevations of growth curves of these two populations demonstrate that the slopes were not significantly different (p 0.05). However, overall growth curves of the midden and modern populations were not significantly different, indicating that shell growth environments of the two areas are similar. Therefore, it is likely that sea temperature near the midden area could be similar to that of present Gimje area, and thus temperature during the period of the midden formation could be higher than presently known.