>In a more contemporary framework, one may add to these taphonomic anomalies
>the transport by mollusk-eating fish.  This is inferred from our getting an
>occasional bathyl species in the bycatch of scallopboats trawling well onto
>the continental shelf off northeast Florida.

Yes, for sure; and a fish might swallow a shell and travel a long
distance, die and deposit said shell far from home.

Other mechanisms:
ship epibionts
ship ballast
drifting icebergs (Antarctic ones can carry shells)
scientific expeditions shovelling grunge overboard later in day after
dredging (don't ask how I know)
drifting kelp holdfasts

That last demonstrates the ability of molluscs to live way outside
their normal habitats. A malacologist at a major NZ museum told me
that he had a live-collected Siphonaria from a holdfast. This
holdfast had a BATHYAL climax kelp fauna attached... that Siphonaria
was LIVING at 1000m depth (and if that ain't evidence that the
"Archaeopulmonata" are not pulmonates at all, I don't know what is).
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin, New Zealand
64 (3) 473-8863
<[log in to unmask]>
Fossil preparator
Seashell, Macintosh & VW/Toyota van nut
I want your sinistral gastropods!
-----------------------
Q: Because it reverses the logical flow of conversation.
A: Why is top posting frowned upon?