Study of Pinna nobilis growth from inner record: How biased are posterior adductor muscle scars estimates?

abstract Article history:Received 14 June 2011Received in revised form 19 July 2011Accepted 20 July 2011Available online 17 August 2011Keywords:BivalviaEndangered speciesMediterraneanSclerochronologySpain Previous studies have shown that the external growth records of the posterior adductor muscle scar (PAMS)ofthe bivalve Pinna nobilisareincomplete and donot produce accurate ageestimations. We havedeveloped anew methodology to study age and growth using the inner record of the PAMS, which avoids the necessity ofcostly in situ shell measurements or isotopic studies. Using the inner record we identified the positions ofPAMS previously obscured by nacre and estimated the number of missing recor…