Sequential Hair Shaft as an Indicator of Prior Mineralization in the Alaskan Moose2

    September 1975 in “ Journal of Animal Science ”
    Arthur Flynn, Albert W. Franzmann, Paul D. Arneson
    TLDR Moose hair can track past mineral levels, except zinc.
    The study analyzed moose hair shafts for 10 mineral elements and found that hair could effectively monitor previous mineral states, with significant correlations for most elements except zinc. Zinc levels were possibly elevated due to adsorption onto the hair shaft. Differences were observed between sexes, with females showing significant correlations for seven elements and males for six. This indicated that the uptake and retention of minerals in moose hair were consistent enough to allow for sequential analysis of prior mineralization.
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