Dentalium nanum is a tusk shell of the family Dentaliidae, endemic to New Zealand waters.[1] The Dentalium shell was traditionally used for decorative purposes by Māori, such as rings and necklaces, and has typically found at archaeological sites around the Coromandel Peninsula.[2][3]

Dentalium nanum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Scaphopoda
Order: Dentaliida
Family: Dentaliidae
Genus: Dentalium
Species:
D. nanum
Binomial name
Dentalium nanum
Hutton, 1873

References

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  1. ^ Powell, A W B (1979). New Zealand Mollusca. Auckland, New Zealand: William Collins Publishers Ltd. pp. 500p. ISBN 0-00-216906-1.
  2. ^ Furey, Louise (1990). "The Artefact Collection from Whitipirorua (T12/16), Coromandel Peninsula". Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum. 27: 19–60. ISSN 0067-0464. JSTOR 42906401. Wikidata Q58677384.
  3. ^ Leach, B. F. (1977). Dentalium shell in New Zealand archaeological sites. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 7(4), 473-483.