Paleontologists found out what pain suffer the mammoths
Scientists of the Tomsk state University found that mammoths suffered from the same serious diseases of the skeletal system that people.
Paleontologist Sergei Leshchinsky became acquainted with the collection of the remains of the Yakut mammoths collected on one of the largest in the world locations mammoth fauna — Berelekh. The study showed that almost half of the bones of ancient mammals has signs of serious abnormalities, typical for the skeletal system, results data of Tomsk state University “the Russian newspaper”.
Among diseases there are two diseases, which are the ancient animals nobody in the world has not yet been identified.
“One of the diseases doctors have called a “joint mouse”, or “rice grain”. It is located freely in the cavity of the joint, the separated fragment of bone or cartilage, says Mr leszczyński. — Quite often this condition is seen in people. If you get such a piece into the joint cavity causing severe pain. It indicates a serious disease, for example, necrosis of subchondral bone. An animal with this disease was limited in motion”.
Another anomaly, first described in mammoths, the nonclosure of the transverse holes of the cervical vertebrae. However, most of the ancient animals are found signs of joint destruction, osteoporosis, osteofibrosis, osteomalacia, osteolysis, false joints and other diseases caused by metabolic disorders due to lack or excess of vital macro – and micronutrients.
The articular surfaces of the bones of mammoths softened and curved, and sometimes just disfigured by the disease.
According to experts, due to the deformation of the bones of the giant mammals were seriously injured even due to minor stresses.
Weakened animals could not produce their own food and become easy prey for predators and humans.
The results confirm the hypothesis of paleontologists TSU that mammoths disappeared from the planet because of metabolic disorders. The cause of their mass extinction was the geochemical stress. Apparently, mineral starvation led to the dramatic environmental changes associated with neotectonic processes and humidifying of a climate.
Scientists claim that the mammoths were trying to make up for the shortage of essential chemical elements. They eat the clay on the banks of ponds, outcroppings of landslides or in the so-called mud baths. However, the nature was stronger than giant animals, and the mammoths disappeared from the face of the Earth.