PATTERNS AND PROCESSES OF SHELL FRAGMENTATION IN MODERN AND ANCIENT MARINE ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

Shell fragments are important components of many Recent and fossil marine benthic ecosystems and can provide crucial information on past and present environmental conditions. Interpreting such fragments requires integrated knowledge in various fields and the information potential is therefore rarely optimally utilized. This paper uses the definition of a fragment as being a piece of shell having less than 90% of its original form. It then outlines the potential characteristics, pathways, and fates that shells and their fragments can have.