| Abstract: |
Archaeological excavations from 1968-1970 at Pilanduk Cave and Sagung Rockshelter on Palawan Island, the Philippines, yielded rich molluscan faunal remains, with over seventy species represented. Local Palanun and Tagbanwa hunter-gatherer informants were used to identify the ecological habitats and micro-environments of each molluscan species. Changes in the percentages of species represented through the time period of the use of these sites (late Pleistocene and early post-Pleistocene) reveal changes in mollusk exploitation patterns, some of which reflect adjustments to drastic alterations in the local environment and topography brought on by the rise in sea level at the end of the Pleistocene.The statistical analysis of the molluscan fauna reveals a shift at this time period from fresh water and land mollusks in the diet to species from estuarine and mangrove associated environments.
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