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Sclerochronology is the study of physical and chemical properties of accretionary
hard tissues of aquatic organisms, which often display annual or seasonal growth
banding. Materials studied include fish scales, otoliths (fish ear structures),
mollusc shells, and the aragonite skeletons of sclerosponges (coralline sponges).
Growth rates or stable isotopes in these materials can be used as paleoenvironmental
proxies. Samples can be collected from live specimens, or from sediments
or archaeological sites.
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