Making the most of fragments: a method for estimating shell length from fragmentary mussels (Mytilus californianus and Mytilus trossulus) on the Pacific Coast of North America
2015
Singh, Gerald G. | McKechnie, Iain
California mussel (Mytilus californianus) are ubiquitous shellfish species in coastal archaeological sites throughout western North America but are often highly fragmentary when recovered in small-volume ‘column’ or ‘bulk’ samples typically used to quantify shellfish assemblages. Archaeological research has predominantly focused on evaluating the dietary contribution of Mytilus but most studies assume an average meat weight or use categorical size classifications to determine subsistence strategies and harvest profiles. In this paper, we develop and evaluate a regression-based method for estimating shell length and meat weight for fragmentary Mytilus remains. Our regressions are based on live-collected M. californianus specimens from multiple locations in California and British Columbia and provide considerable statistical confidence for predicting length and meat weight. We also apply the same regressions to a collection of Mytilus trossulus and show similar predictive equations, indicating this method can be used in cases where it is not possible to distinguish morphologically between M. californianus and M. trossulus. We demonstrate how these results improve upon previous size-classification methods and discuss the potential for applying these measurements to enhance the relevance of these zooarchaeological data for modern marine conservation and management efforts.
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