1 minute read
Cicada
Extinction
Museum collections are also a record of the past. The Epioblasma haysiana, or Acornshell was a species of freshwater mussel that is now extinct. The last remaining individuals were killed in the 1970s due to habitat destruction and pollution. Endemic to the Cumberland River and Tennessee River in the Southern United States, this particular example came from Alabama.
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Freshwater mussels (Order Unionoida); also known as unionids, are a highly diverse and ecologically important group. Unionids look like other marine mussels or clams; however, they spend most of their lives buried in the sediment of rivers, streams, and lakes. They are found around the world and in North America, there are close to 300 native species. They are often seen as plain boring living rocks, but after closer inspection they reveal their importance as river engineers! Unionids are mighty filter feeders; cycling nutrients, removing algae, bacteria, and contaminants from the water. They also provide food and habitat to other organisms and stabilize the sediment where they live. For thousands of years, humans have used unionids and their shells as food, jewelry, and tools. Before plastic was invented, buttons were made from freshwater mussel shells. Nevertheless, this taxon has experienced one of the highest rates of decline and extinction in North America as a result of human impacts such as overharvesting, pollution, impoundment of rivers and the introduction of exotic species.
Alberto Rey Work in Progress: Extinct Mussel
Cicada
Scientific Name.................................Zammara medialinea Description................................................................Cicada BMoS Catalog No..................................................No Data Collection Site...........Aragua, Rancho Grande, Venezuela Collection Date....................................September 9, 1980 Collected By...........................................................No Data
ARTIFACT SIZE: 2.75in. x .75in.
PAINTING SIZE: 72in. x 36in. Photo of artifact illustrates actual size in relation to the finished painting. Rancho Grande Venezuela
