Abstract
The mineral and chemical composition of the liquid and lithogenous substances, consumed by the wild ungulate animals, at the kudurs of the Teletskoye Lake, Gorny Altai, Russia, was studied. It was investigated that all examined kudurits are argillous-aleurolitic and get in the interval from 1 to 100 μm with the predominance of the fraction 10 μm. By the mineral composition, the lithogenous kudurits present the quartz-feldspathic-hydromicaceous-chloritic mineral formations with the large content of the quartz particles (20–43%) and sodium-containing plagioclases (albite, 15–32 wt%). The lithogenous kudurits are the products of the reconstitution of the metamorphic cleaving stones as a result of the glacier abrasive effect, subsequent its aqueous deposits and then eolation in the subaerial conditions. The fontinal waters consumed at the kudurs are subsaline chloride-hydrocarbonate-sodium and sulphated-hydrocarbonate-calcium types. It essentially differs by the increased content of rare-earth elements in reference to the lake water. The acid (HCl, pH-1) extracts from the kudurits more actively extract calcium (10–35% of the gross contents; sodium extracts at the level of 1–3%). The most fluent in the microelements composition are Cu, Be, Sr, Co, Cd, Pb, Sc, Y and rare-earth elements. The transit of all these elements into the dissoluted form fluctuates about 10% from the gross contents. The reason of geophagy is related to tendency of herbivores to absorb mineralized subsoils enriched by the biologically accessible forms of rare-earth elements, arisen as a result of vital activity of specific microflora.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barmettler, F., Castelberg, C., Fabbri, C., & Brandl, H. (2016). Microbial mobilization of rare earth elements (REE) from mineral solids—A mini review. AIMS Microbiology, 2(2), 190–204.
Bgatov, V. I., Panichev, A. M., Sobanskii, G. G., Van, A. V., & Budnikov, IV. (1988). Animal licks in Siberian Mountains. Bulletin of Moscow Society of Nature Investigators. Department of Biology, 93(2), 42–53. (in Russian).
Butvilovskii, V. V. (1993). Paleography of last glaciation and Holocene of Altai: Event-catastrophic model. Tomsk: Tomsk State University. (in Russian).
Cowan, I. Mc T, & Brink, V. C. (1949). Natural game licks in the Rocky Mountain National Parks of Canada. Journal of Mammalogy, 30(4), 379–387.
Dalke, P. D., Beeman, R. D., Kindel, F. J., Robel, R. J., & Williams, T. R. (1965). Use of salt by elk in Idaho. Journal of Wildlife Management, 29, 319–332.
Dowding, J. M., Song, W., Bossy, K., Karakoti, A., Kumar, A., Kim, A., et al. (2014). Cerium oxide nanoparticles protect against Aβ-induced mitochondrial fragmentation and neuronal cell death. Cell Death and Differentiation, 21, 1622–1632.
Ermakov, V. V., & Tyutikov, S. F. (2008). Geochemical ecology of animals. Moscow: Nauka. (in Russian).
Fraser, D., & Reardon, E. (1980). Attraction of wild ungulates to mineral-rich springs in central Canada. Holarctic Ecology, 3, 36–40.
Gilardi, J. D., Duffey, S. S., Munn, C. A., & Tell, L. A. (1999). Biochemical functions of geophagy in parrots: Detoxification of dietary toxins and cytoprotective effects. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 25, 897–919.
He, M. L., Ranz, D., & Rambeck, W. A. (2003). Effect of dietary rare earth elements on growth performance and blood parameters of rats. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, 87, 1–7.
Hebert, D., & Cowan, I. M. (1971). Natural saltlicks as a part of the ecology of the mountain goat. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 49, 605–610.
Houston, D. C., Gilardi, J. D., & Hall, A. J. (2001). Soil consumption by elephants might help to minimize the toxic effects of plant secondary compounds in forest browse. Mammal Review, 31(3–4), 249–254.
Klaus, G., & Schmid, B. (1998). Geophagy at natural licks and mammal ecology: A review. Mammalia, 62, 481–497.
Kovalskii, V. V. (1974). Geochemical ecology. Moscow: Nauka. (in Russian).
Kreulen, D. A. (1985). Lick use by large herbivores: A review of benefits and banes of soil consumption. Mammal Review, 15, 107–123.
Maloletko, A. M. (2009). Teletskoye Lake research 1973–1975. Tomsk: Tomsk State University. (in Russian).
Martinelli, A., Marinho, T. S., de Vasconcellos, F. M., dos Santos, C. M., Ribeiro, L. C. B., dos Santos, S. M., et al. (2013). Tooth marks of mammalian incisors on rocky substrate in Brazil: Evidence of geophagy in the Cerrado Biome. Ichnos, 20(4), 173–180.
Mattson, D. J., Green, G. I., & Swalley, R. (1999). Geophagy by Yellowstone grizzly bears. Ursus, 11, 109–116.
Moe, S. R. (1993). Mineral content and wildlife use of soil licks in southwestern Nepal. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 71, 933–936.
Murie, A. (1934). The moose of Isle Royale. Ann Arbor: Miscellaneous Publication 25. University of Michigan, Museum of Zoology: University of Michigan Press.
Nasimovich, A. A. (1938). To knowledge of mineral feeding of wild animals in Caucasian Reserve. Proceedings Caucasian Reserve, 1, 103–150. (in Russian).
Oates, J. F. (1978). Water-plant and soil consumption by Guereza Monkeys (Colobus guereza): A relationship with minerals and toxins in the diet? Biotropica, 10, 241–253.
Panichev, A. M. (1990). Geophagy in the worlds of animals and humans. Moscow: Nauka. (in Russian).
Panichev, A. M. (2015). Rare earth elements: Review of medical and biological properties and their abundance in the rock materials and mineralized spring waters in the context of animal and human geophagy reasons evaluation. Achievements in the Life Sciences, 9, 95–103.
Panichev, A. M. (2016). Geophagy: Causes of phenomenon. Priroda, 4, 25–35. (in Russian).
Panichev, A. M., Golokhvast, K. S., Gulkov, A. N., & Chekryzhov, I Yu. (2013). Geophagy and geology of mineral licks (kudurs): A review of Russian publications. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 35(1), 133–152.
Panichev, A. M., Popov, V. K., Chekryzhov, I Yu., Seryodkin, I. V., Sergievich, A. A., & Golokhvast, K. S. (2017). Geological nature of mineral licks and the reasons for geophagy among animals. Biogeosciences, 14, 2767–2779.
Panichev, A. M., Popov, V. K., Chekryzhov, I Yu., Seryodkin, I. V., Stolyarova, T. A., Zakusin, S. V., et al. (2016). Rare earth elements upon assessment of reasons of the geophagy in Sikhote-Alin region (Russian Federation), Africa and other world regions. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 38, 1255–1270.
Pol, A., Barends, T. R. M., Dietl, A., Khadem, A. F., Eygensteyn, J., Jetten, M. S. M., et al. (2014). Rare earth metals are essential for methanotrophic life in volcanic mudpots. Environmental Microbiology, 16, 255–264.
Puzanov, A. V., Elchaninova, O. A., & Rozhdestvenskaya, T. A. (2015). To 85th birthday of M.A. Mal’gyn—prominent scientist in field of biochemistry, agrochemistry, soil science, ecology. In Biogeochemistry of technogenesis and modern problems of geochemical ecology. Proceedings of IX international biogeochemical school (Vol. 1, pp. 13–16) (in Russian).
Ramachandran, K. K., Balagopalan, M., & Vijayakumaran Nayr, P. (1995). Use pattern and chemical characterization of the natural salt licks in Chinnar wildlife sanctuary (Research report 94). Thrissur: Kerala forest research institute Peechi.
Raman Kutty, V., Abraham, S., & Kartha, C. C. (1996). Geographical Distribution of Endomyocardial Fibrosis in South Kerala. International Epidemiological Association, 25(6), 1202–1207.
Seryodkin, I. V., Panichev, A. M., & Slaght, J. C. (2016). Geophagy by brown bears in the Russian Far East. Ursus, 27(1), 11–17.
Shaposhnikov, F. D. (1953). On the soil alkalinity of wild ungulate animals in mountain-taiga Altai. Bulletin of Moscow Society of Nature Investigators. Department of Biology, 58(1), 3–10. (in Russian).
Shevchenko, G. A. (2010). Geoecological state of water area and littoral zone of Teletskoye Lake (Gorny Altai). Ph.D. Thesis, Tomsk, Russia (in Russian).
Shivakumar, K., Renuka Nair, R., & Valiathan, M. S. (1992). Paradoxical effect of cerium on collagen synthesis in cardiac fibroblasts. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 24(7), 775–780.
Sun, S. S., & Mcdonough, W. F. (1989). Chemical and isotopic systematics of ocean basalts implications for mantle composition and processes. In A. D. Saunders & M. J. Norry (Eds.), Magmatism in Ocean Basins (Vol. 42, pp. 313–345). London: Geol. Soc.
Takahashi, Y., Chatellier, X., Hattori, K. H., Kato, K., & Fortin, D. (2005). Adsorption of rare earth elements onto bacterial cell walls and its implication for REE sorption onto natural microbial mats. Chemical Geology, 219, 53–67.
Takahashi, Y., Hirata, T., Shimizu, H., Ozaki, T., & Fortin, D. (2007). A rare earth element signature of bacteria in natural waters? Chemical Geology, 244(3), 569–583.
Vasilchuk, J. Y. (2015). Geochemical factors of carbonate profile formation of soils in cryo-arid landscapes of Ak-Khol Lake basin. In Biogeochemistry of technogenesis and modern problems of geochemical ecology. Proceedings of IX international biogeochemical school (Vol. 1, pp. 178–180) (in Russian).
Vermeer, D. E., & Ferrell, R. E. (1985). Nigerian geophagical clay: A traditional anti-diarrhoeal pharmaceutical. Science, 227, 634–636.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Panichev, A.M., Seryodkin, I.V., Kalinkin, Y.N. et al. Development of the “rare-earth” hypothesis to explain the reasons of geophagy in Teletskoye Lake are kudurs (Gorny Altai, Russia). Environ Geochem Health 40, 1299–1316 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-017-0056-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-017-0056-x