Dentalium is a large genus of tooth shells or tusk shells, marine scaphopod molluscs in the family Dentaliidae. [1] The genus contains 50 described species and about 50 extinct species. [ 2 ]

The word dentalium, as commonly used by Native American artists and anthropologists, refers to tooth shells or tusk shells used in indigenous jewelry, adornment, and commerce in western Canada and the United States.

The shells of Dentalium hexagonum and Dentalium pretiosum were strung on thread and used by the natives of the Pacific Northwest as shell money. Dentalium shells were also used to make belts and headdresses by the Natufian culture of the Middle East, and are a possible indicator of early social stratification. [20]

Dentalium. Identification Numbers. TSN: 82118. Geography. Working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. Footer Menu - Employment. Careers & Internships; Contracting; Footer Menu - …

The meaning of DENTALIUM is any of a genus (Dentalium) of widely distributed tooth shells; broadly : tooth shell.

Dentalium shells, often referred to as tooth or tusk shells because of their narrow cylindrical shape, are hollow-shelled gastropods belonging to the Class Scaphopoda. Two types of Dentalium shells live along the Pacific Coast.

Dentalium, the long, slender white shells Alutiiq people used for jewelry and decoration, come from scaphopods, a type of hollow-shelled mollusks. The name dentalium is derived from the Latin word dentis, meaning tooth.

…ownership of woodpecker scalps and dentalium shells, the latter of which were probably received in trade from the Yurok. The village’s richest man was its headman; his power and his property passed to his son, but anyone who acquired more property might obtain the dignity and power of that office.…

Dentalium Linnaeus, 1758. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137886 on 2025-04-15

In this article we will discuss about the structure of Dentallium with the help of a diagram. 1. It is commonly called “Tusk shell” and is a marine mollusc found buried in sand of deep seas. 2. Bilaterally symmetrical body is enclosed in a cylindrical curved, ridged and conical shell, which is open at both ends. 3.