sentences:  Certain men, who became known as "Indian bankers," tattooed marks on their arms with which to measure the length of the shells.Among northern California tribes, such as the Yurok, Karuk, and Hupa, dentalium shells were stored in elk-antler purses or treasure baskets.On the Central Coast of California, shells of "Dentalium neohexagonum" (a species that occurs from Monterey, California to Baja California) have been recovered from prehistoric habitation sites of the Chumash, who apparently used these shells as tubes, possibly in jewelry.