Landscape REE anomalies and the cause of geophagy in wild animals at kudurs (mineral salt licks) in the Sikhote-Alin (Primorsky Krai, Russia)

Kudurs (mineral licks) on ultrabasic rocks in the Altai Mountains, Russia

“…The smectite-vermiculite-chlorite mineral composition of kudurits on ultrabasic rocks is fundamentally different from the composition of kudurits most common in the South Siberian mountains, where the main mineral components are finely-dispersed quartz-plagioclase-illite-chlorite mineral mixtures with minor additions of calcium carbonates and clay minerals, usually with the predominance of kaolinite (16). By the high smectite content, the kudurits on ultrabasic rocks are more similar to kudurits of young volcanic areas, particularly common in the Sikhote-Alin, which have been studied quite thoroughly (17).…”

“…The authors proceeded on the assumption that some elements from the light REE group associated with internal secretion gland enzymes and nerve tissues can be replaced by heavy analogues, which are not able to perform the necessary functions. This hypothesis was tested in the Sikhote-Alin on two objects (17). It was found that in the areas known for geophagy, acid volcanogenic and volcano-sedimentary rocks enriched with REE were predominant.…”

“…Crushed and milled mineral earth material samples were sent for chemical analysis and X-ray phase analysis of minerals. The analytical methods are described in detail in a previous study by the authors (17).…”

“…In previous studies by the authors, ample attention was paid to the mineralogy of kudurits; the mineral composition of the studied kudurits was most fully discussed in monographs (12,13). Thus far, the geological features of kudurit formation have received the most thorough attention in the articles written almost exclusively by the present group of authors (2,(14)(15)(16)(17).…”

On the Cause of Geophygy Among Wild and Domestic Ungulatesin the Altai-Sayan Region and in the Baikal

“…С помощью химического анализа головного мозга оленей было установлено, что гематоэнцефаличекий барьер РЗЭ при высоких их концентрациях в кормах успешно преодолевают, накапливаясь в некоторых отделах мозга. По данным сопоставления валовых содержаний РЗЭ в глинисто-цеолитовых кудуритах и минералогически идентичных копролитах оленей установлено, что данный тип кудуритов активно выводит РЗЭ из организма оленей, причем главным образом РЗЭ тяжёлой подгруппы [3].…”