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Vogelherd and Petersfels are two of the richest central European Palaeolithic sites from the Aurignacian and Magdalenian periods. Vogelherd is known for its figurative art, flutes and ornaments made of ivory, while Petersfels is known for its complex ornament assemblage, especially the female figurines made of jet. Both sites yielded Glycymeris molluscs, which can provide unique information on the mobility and social behaviour of groups from the Upper Palaeolithic of southern Germany. In this paper, we examine the Glycymeris finds from southern Germany and place them in a broader European context by summarising the finds from Belgium, Switzerland, France, and Italy. Glycymeris are one of the most common bivalve species in the Upper Palaeolithic of Central Europe and are found from the Aurignacian until the Magdalenian. The analyses presented here constitute a functional analysis of Glycymeris and an interpretation of their significance in terms of longdistance connections. Finally, we address use-traces and residues left on the Glycymeris and put forward various hypotheses for future investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]