Identification and independence: morphometrics of Cenozoic New Zealand Spissatella and Eucrassatella (Bivalvia, Crassatellidae)

Abstract Fossil bivalve shells are well-suited for landmark/semilandmark morphometric analysis because they preserve both traces of the internal anatomy and the whole shell outline. Utilizing landmarks and semilandmarks, we have characterized internal and external shape variation in a monophyletic clade of Cenozoic New Zealand and Australian crassatellid bivalves, to test the contiguity in morphospace of species-level taxa and to quantitatively examine the “Concept of Independent Entities” of Yonge (1953). Thirteen species from two genera (Spissatella Finlay 1926 and Eucrassatella Iredale 1924) are investigated. Spissatella n. sp. C is confirmed as forming a contiguous group separate to S. trailli and S. clifdenensis. Shell outline and internal anatomy are found to covary in shape, refuting the “Concept of Independent Entities” in the study group.