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Malacology

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Malacology[a] is the branch of invertebrate zoology that deals with the study of the Mollusca (molluscs or mollusks), the second-largest phylum of animals in terms of described species[1] after the arthropods. Mollusks include snails and slugs, clams, and cephalopods, along with numerous other kinds, many of which have shells. Malacology derives from Ancient Greek μαλακός (malakós) 'soft' and -λογία (-logía) '-logy', 'study of'.

A bigfin reef squid displaying considerably developed ocular, locomotive, and bioluminescent organs, all particularly of interest to the malacological study of its class Cephalopoda.

Fields within malacological research include taxonomy, ecology and evolution. Several subdivisions of malacology exist, including conchology, devoted to the study of mollusk shells, and teuthology, the study of cephalopods such as octopus, squid, and cuttlefish. Applied malacology studies medical, veterinary, and agricultural applications, for example the study of mollusks as vectors of schistosomiasis and other diseases.

Archaeology employs malacology to understand the evolution of the climate, the biota of the area, and the usage of the site.[citation needed]

Zoological methods are used in malacological research. Malacological field methods and laboratory methods (such as collecting, documenting and archiving, and molecular techniques) were summarized by Sturm et al. (2006).[2]

History

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Malacology evolved from the earlier discipline of conchology, which focused solely on the collection and classification of shells. The transformation into a comprehensive field of biological study occurred over several key historical milestones.

Early period pre-1795

Before the late 18th century, the study of mollusks was limited to conchology, emphasizing the aesthetic and taxonomic value of shells. During this time, the term "mollusks" referred only to shell-less species such as cephalopods and slugs. Organisms with shells were classified under "Testacea", reflecting a limited understanding of their broader biological characteristics.[3]

The contributions of Cuvier

In 1795, French naturalist Georges Cuvier introduced a new classification system for invertebrates based on anatomical observations. He proposed that mollusks represented a distinct group of organisms unified by common morphological traits. This approach laid the groundwork for the transition from conchology to malacology, as it highlighted the importance of internal anatomy over external shell features.[3]

Early 19th Century

Following Cuvier’s work, the early 19th century saw an expansion of the field’s focus. Scientists began studying not only the external shells of mollusks but also their internal anatomy, physiological functions, and ecological roles. This marked a shift toward viewing mollusks as complete organisms, rather than merely as shell producers. The term "malacology" was officially introduced in 1825 by French zoologist and anatomist Henri-Marie Ducrotay de Blainville. Derived from the Greek word "malakos" (meaning "soft"), it reflected a broader interest in the biological and ecological characteristics of mollusks, including their soft body structures. This moment is considered the formal establishment of malacology as a distinct scientific discipline.[3]

Late 19th Century and beyond

By the late 19th century, malacology had expanded further to encompass evolutionary biology, taxonomy, and ecology. Researchers investigated the relationships between mollusks and other invertebrates, as well as their roles in various ecosystems. The discipline continued to integrate new methodologies and technologies, solidifying its place within zoology.[3]

Malacologists

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Main article: List of malacologists

Those who study malacology are known as malacologists. Those who study primarily or exclusively the shells of mollusks are known as conchologists, while those who study mollusks of the class Cephalopoda are teuthologists.

Societies

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Journals

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More than 150 journals within the field of malacology are being published from more than 30 countries, producing an overwhelming amount of scientific articles.[7] They include:

Museums

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Malacological Museum in Makarska, Croatia (entrance)

Museums that have either exceptional malacological research collections (behind the scenes) and/or exceptional public exhibits of mollusks:

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ From the French malacologie, contraction of malacozoologie; from the Neo-Latin Malacozoa, 'zoological group including soft-bodied animals'; from Ancient Greek μαλακός (malakós) 'soft' and ζῷον (zôion) 'animal'.

References

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  1. ^ "Home – Division of Invertebrate Zoology". Archived from the original on 2007-02-08. Retrieved 2007-02-08.
  2. ^ Charles F. Sturm; Timothy A. Pearce; Ángel Valdés (July 2006). The mollusks. Universal-Publishers. ISBN 978-1-58112-930-4. Archived from the original on 2022-10-22. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  3. ^ a b c d Vinarski, Maxim V. (28 March 2014). "The birth of malacology. When and how?". Zoosystematics and Evolution. 90 (1): 1–5. doi:10.3897/zse.90.7008.
  4. ^ "Malaco Argentina".
  5. ^ "Sociedade Brasileira de Malacologia". Archived from the original on 2015-04-14.
  6. ^ "Sociedad de Malacolología de México A.C." Archived from the original on 2012-03-26.
  7. ^ Bieler & Kabat, Malacological Journals and Newsletters, 1773–1990; The Nautilus 105(2):39–61, 1991 Archived 2018-05-09 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Tryon, George Washington, 1838–1888 (1865). Details – American journal of conchology. – Biodiversity Heritage Library. Archived from the original on 2017-09-30.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "American Malacological Society". Archived from the original on 2010-12-03.
  10. ^ "Archiv für Molluskenkunde (ISSN 1869-0963, e-ISSN 2367-0622), Optional Open Access)". Archived from the original on 2013-01-29. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
  11. ^ Basteria Archived 2015-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ The Bulletin of the Russian Far East Malacological Society Archived 2011-08-26 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ Elsevier. "Fish and Shellfish Immunology". Archived from the original on 2010-01-12.
  14. ^ GuppY. "Cernuelle – Folia Conchyliologica" (in French). Archived from the original on 2011-01-27.
  15. ^ "Editorial SMP". Archived from the original on 2008-09-22.
  16. ^ Folia Malacologica Archived 2009-02-01 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ "Heldia - Münchner malakologische Mitteilungen". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  18. ^ "Details – Journal de conchyliologie. – Biodiversity Heritage Library". Archived from the original on 2017-10-27.
  19. ^ "Journal de conchyliologie – 77 années disponibles – Gallica". Archived from the original on 2016-02-16.
  20. ^ "Journal of Conchology – The Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland". Archived from the original on 2010-03-17. Retrieved 2009-09-07.
  21. ^ "Journal of Medical and Applied Malacology". Archived from the original on 2010-07-29.
  22. ^ "Malacologica Bohemoslovaca" (in English and Czech). Archived from the original on 2008-04-20.
  23. ^ "Malacological Review". Archived from the original on 2012-07-03.
  24. ^ [1] [permanent dead link‍]
  25. ^ Menke, Karl Theodor, 1791–1861. "Details – Zeitschrift für Malakozoologie. – Biodiversity Heritage Library". Archived from the original on 2017-07-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  26. ^ Clessin, Steph., 1833–. "Details – Malakozoologische Blätter. – Biodiversity Heritage Library". Archived from the original on 2017-07-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  27. ^ "Mollusca Journal – 2007 to 2009 – The Last Issue – Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden". Archived from the original on 2008-10-11.
  28. ^ "Molluscan Research – online contents". Archived from the original on 2010-12-10. Retrieved 2010-12-06.
  29. ^ General Information Archived 2011-01-12 at the Wayback Machine. accessed 6 December 2010].
  30. ^ "Mollusca in Deutschland - Malakozoologische Zeitschriften". Archived from the original on 2017-03-29. Retrieved 2017-03-28.
  31. ^ "Occasional Molluscan Papers" Archived 2015-08-22 at the Wayback Machine. last change 2 December 2014, accessed 23 August 2016.
  32. ^ Harvard University. Museum of Comparative Zoology. "Details – Occasional papers on mollusks. – Biodiversity Heritage Library". Archived from the original on 2017-07-20.
  33. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-02-07. Retrieved 2011-04-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  34. ^ "Strombus online". www.conchasbrasil.org.br. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  35. ^ "TENTACLE". Archived from the original on 2010-06-03.
  36. ^ Details – The Conchologist. – Biodiversity Heritage Library. 1891. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2018. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  37. ^ Details – The Journal of malacology. – Biodiversity Heritage Library. 1894. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2018. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  38. ^ Official site of The Festivus Archived 2009-10-26 at the Wayback Machine
  39. ^ "THE NAUTILUS. A Quarterly Devoted to Malacology". shellmuseum.org. Archived from the original on 30 November 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  40. ^ "THE VELIGER". Archived from the original on 2008-05-01. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  41. ^ "Journal Impact Factor 2003". sciencegateway.org. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  42. ^ "CiNii Articles – 貝類学雑誌Venus : the Japanese journal of malacology" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2009-12-26.
  43. ^ Vita marina. Stichting Biologia Maritima (Netherlands). 'S Gravenhage. OCLC 13862636.

Further reading

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  • Cox L. R. & Peake J. F. (eds.). Proceedings of the First European Malacological Congress. September 17–21, 1962. Text in English with black-and-white photographic reproductions, also maps and diagrams. Published by the Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland and the Malacological Society of London in 1965 with no ISBN.
  • Heppel D. (1995). "The long dawn of Malacology: a brief history of malacology from prehistory to the year 1800." Archives of Natural History 22(3): 301–319.
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  Media related to Malacology at Wikimedia Commons

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