X-ray computed tomography of two mammoth calf mummies
Two female woolly mammoth neonates from permafrost in the Siberian Arctic are the most complete mammoth specimens known. Lyuba, found on the Yamal Peninsula, and Khroma, from northernmost Yakutia, died at ages of approximately one and two months, respectively. Both specimens were CT-scanned, yieldin...
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1666/13-092 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022336000002523 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1666/13-092 2024-09-15T18:30:08+00:00 X-ray computed tomography of two mammoth calf mummies Fisher, Daniel C. Shirley, Ethan A. Whalen, Christopher D. Calamari, Zachary T. Rountrey, Adam N. Tikhonov, Alexei N. Buigues, Bernard Lacombat, Frédéric Grigoriev, Semyon Lazarev, Piotr A. 2014 http://dx.doi.org/10.1666/13-092 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022336000002523 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Journal of Paleontology volume 88, issue 4, page 664-675 ISSN 0022-3360 1937-2337 journal-article 2014 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1666/13-092 2024-07-24T04:03:15Z Two female woolly mammoth neonates from permafrost in the Siberian Arctic are the most complete mammoth specimens known. Lyuba, found on the Yamal Peninsula, and Khroma, from northernmost Yakutia, died at ages of approximately one and two months, respectively. Both specimens were CT-scanned, yielding detailed information on the stage of development of their dentition and skeleton and insight into conditions associated with death. Both mammoths died after aspirating mud. Khroma's body was frozen soon after death, leaving her tissues in excellent condition, whereas Lyuba's body underwent postmortem changes that resulted in authigenic formation of nodules of the mineral vivianite associated with her cranium and within diaphyses of long bones. CT data provide the only comprehensive approach to mapping vivianite distribution. Three-dimensional modeling and measurement of segmented long bones permits comparison between these individuals and with previously recovered specimens. CT scans of long bones and foot bones show developmental features such as density gradients that reveal ossification centers. The braincase of Khroma was segmented to show the approximate morphology of the brain; its volume is slightly less (∼2,300 cm 3 ) than that of neonate elephants (∼2,500 cm 3 ). Lyuba's premaxillae are more gracile than those of Khroma, possibly a result of temporal and/or geographic variation but probably also reflective of their age difference. Segmentation of CT data and 3-D modeling software were used to produce models of teeth that were too complex for traditional molding and casting techniques. Article in Journal/Newspaper permafrost Yakutia Yamal Peninsula Cambridge University Press Journal of Paleontology 88 4 664 675 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
Two female woolly mammoth neonates from permafrost in the Siberian Arctic are the most complete mammoth specimens known. Lyuba, found on the Yamal Peninsula, and Khroma, from northernmost Yakutia, died at ages of approximately one and two months, respectively. Both specimens were CT-scanned, yielding detailed information on the stage of development of their dentition and skeleton and insight into conditions associated with death. Both mammoths died after aspirating mud. Khroma's body was frozen soon after death, leaving her tissues in excellent condition, whereas Lyuba's body underwent postmortem changes that resulted in authigenic formation of nodules of the mineral vivianite associated with her cranium and within diaphyses of long bones. CT data provide the only comprehensive approach to mapping vivianite distribution. Three-dimensional modeling and measurement of segmented long bones permits comparison between these individuals and with previously recovered specimens. CT scans of long bones and foot bones show developmental features such as density gradients that reveal ossification centers. The braincase of Khroma was segmented to show the approximate morphology of the brain; its volume is slightly less (∼2,300 cm 3 ) than that of neonate elephants (∼2,500 cm 3 ). Lyuba's premaxillae are more gracile than those of Khroma, possibly a result of temporal and/or geographic variation but probably also reflective of their age difference. Segmentation of CT data and 3-D modeling software were used to produce models of teeth that were too complex for traditional molding and casting techniques. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Fisher, Daniel C. Shirley, Ethan A. Whalen, Christopher D. Calamari, Zachary T. Rountrey, Adam N. Tikhonov, Alexei N. Buigues, Bernard Lacombat, Frédéric Grigoriev, Semyon Lazarev, Piotr A. |
spellingShingle |
Fisher, Daniel C. Shirley, Ethan A. Whalen, Christopher D. Calamari, Zachary T. Rountrey, Adam N. Tikhonov, Alexei N. Buigues, Bernard Lacombat, Frédéric Grigoriev, Semyon Lazarev, Piotr A. X-ray computed tomography of two mammoth calf mummies |
author_facet |
Fisher, Daniel C. Shirley, Ethan A. Whalen, Christopher D. Calamari, Zachary T. Rountrey, Adam N. Tikhonov, Alexei N. Buigues, Bernard Lacombat, Frédéric Grigoriev, Semyon Lazarev, Piotr A. |
author_sort |
Fisher, Daniel C. |
title |
X-ray computed tomography of two mammoth calf mummies |
title_short |
X-ray computed tomography of two mammoth calf mummies |
title_full |
X-ray computed tomography of two mammoth calf mummies |
title_fullStr |
X-ray computed tomography of two mammoth calf mummies |
title_full_unstemmed |
X-ray computed tomography of two mammoth calf mummies |
title_sort |
x-ray computed tomography of two mammoth calf mummies |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1666/13-092 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022336000002523 |
genre |
permafrost Yakutia Yamal Peninsula |
genre_facet |
permafrost Yakutia Yamal Peninsula |
op_source |
Journal of Paleontology volume 88, issue 4, page 664-675 ISSN 0022-3360 1937-2337 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1666/13-092 |
container_title |
Journal of Paleontology |
container_volume |
88 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
664 |
op_container_end_page |
675 |
_version_ |
1810471615392120832 |