Nonmarine mollusks from Archaeological Sites on Tikopia, Southeastern Solomon Islands / by Carl C. Christensen and Patrick V. Kirch

Abstract

Eighteen species of nonmarine mollusks are recorded from the island of Tikopia, southeastern Solomon Islands. Material studies was obtained from eight archaeological sites; a small sample of live-collected specimens was also examined. Fifteen species of terrestrial mollusks were present in this material: six are believed to be indigenous to the island (although none is precinctive to it), eight were introduced by humans, and the status of one is uncertain. Three additional species inhabiting estuarine, strandline, or aquatic environments were found. The terrestrial mollusks of Tikopia are typically New Hebridean, although prosobranchs and large pulmonates are poorly represented in the fauna. Radiocarbon dates associated with several of the archaeological samples demonstrate that most of the adventive species colonized the island during the prehistoric period.