Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
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Scientists from the Laboratory of Nuclear and Innovative Medicine (LNIM) have begun a tomographic study of three mammoth tusks provided for study by the Department of Mammoth Fauna Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Faculty of Physics of Novosibirsk State UniversityThe next step will be radiocarbon dating of these artifacts, which will be carried out in NSU-NSC Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Center as part of the project Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies The Priority 2030 program is currently underway. The objects of study—three mammoth tusks with various defects—were discovered several years ago in the Abyisky District, on the Tirekhtyakh and Badyarikha rivers in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). Now, using high-tech research methods, scientists will determine the cause of the pathologies, determine the age of these paleontological finds, and identify the diet, geographic location, and migration patterns of these megafauna. The scientists claim that NSU has created optimal conditions for such research, housing the only low-voltage accelerator mass spectrometer in Russia and the only CT scanner in Siberia certified for animal studies and scientific research.
The scanned samples are mammoth tusks containing structural changes—significant deviations in shape and size, as well as abnormalities in tusk formation, clearly visible externally. The first sample clearly shows transverse "ring-shaped" constrictions of varying severity, indicating slowed or stagnant tusk growth. The second sample contains areas of nodular or irregular dentin growth. The third sample is very different from the previous ones, both in size—it is significantly smaller than normal-sized tusks—and in structure: the central portion of its cross-section differs from that normal for woolly mammoths; the dentin appears excessively dense and does not form the characteristic concentric layers. Furthermore, these samples also exhibit other types of pathologies not yet described in the scientific literature.
"Until now, there has been virtually no study of mammoth tusk pathologies worldwide. In Russia, only a few papers have been published comparing isotopic ratios in diseased and healthy tusks, and elemental analysis has been performed. At NSU, the work begins with studying the internal structure of diseased (aberrant) tusks, followed by an examination of the isotopic composition and the hereditary causes of such tusks. We chose NSU as a partner due to its highly qualified specialists in various fields and the availability of equipment. Such research is pioneering, and its importance is difficult to overestimate," commented Albert Vasilyevich Protopopov, Doctor of Biological Sciences and Head of the Mammoth Fauna Research Department at the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).
In modern archaeology and paleontology, computed tomography (CT) has become an indispensable non-destructive method. For unique finds like the tusks from Yakutia, CT is a "digital scalpel," allowing one to peer inside the object and study its hidden structure without disturbing the original. The method provides a three-dimensional image of the external and internal structures, as well as information about the age, diet, and seasonal migrations of the animal. Its main value, however, lies in the detection of hidden pathologies that occurred during life, such as fractures, diseases, and injuries.
"The particular significance of our research lies in the combination of archaeology and preclinical veterinary diagnostic experience. A database of modern animal pathologies serves as a benchmark for interpreting injuries in fossil remains. By comparing the nature of the injuries, we can not only determine the probable cause of death of an individual but also reconstruct the environmental stresses experienced by the population—from competition for resources to climate change. This allows us to transform mammoth ivory into a detailed chronicle of its life and habitat," explains Vladimir Vladimirovich Kanygin, Head of the NSU Laboratory of Mammoth Illegibility and Evolution.
In the future, they plan to compare CT images of mammoth and elephant tusks to determine their similarity. Moreover, the laboratory's conditions allow for the study of more than just the tusks and skeletal remains of these large animals. LYAIM scientists hope to receive a well-preserved permafrost carcass of a baby mammoth from their colleagues in Yakutia for study. To do this, they could first conduct individual CT scans of its parts and then assemble all the images into a 3D computer reconstruction, allowing the object to be studied from any perspective.
The analysis of CT images of mammoth tusks will be carried out by a team of scientists led by Andrey Yuryevich Letyagin, Deputy Director for Research at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Deputy Head of the Institute of Clinical Experimental Lymphology for Research and Clinical Work, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, and physician of the highest category in radiology. He is a leading expert at the Laboratory of Lymphatic Mechanics and Physics of the Faculty of Physics and Mammology of Novosibirsk State University. Together with other laboratory researchers, Andrey Yuryevich previously participated in the development of algorithms for the "Veterinarian Assistant" software module, designed to diagnose oncological diseases in domestic animals using CT images, and also participated in CT studies of archaeological finds conducted in the laboratory.
"We will be processing the CT images of the tusks' internal structure, paying attention to areas of destruction. We will certainly see some pathological changes of various origins, caused either by trauma or inflammatory degenerative processes. Much depends on the integrity of the bone structure, which we still need to determine, but one thing is clear: the work will be challenging due to the unusual nature of the objects being studied. Accessing the literature is practically impossible, as only a few articles on the topic exist to date. So, what we're seeing are CT images of objects that have never been studied before. We will have to develop our own protocol for conducting such studies within the technical capabilities we currently have," explained Andrey Yuryevich.
Computed tomography is only the initial stage of studying these unusual tusks. Scientists plan to conduct a comprehensive radiocarbon dating study, layer-by-layer analysis of isotopic and chemical composition, and histological analysis to determine the cause of the defects.
We want to know whether these abnormalities were the result of disease or environmental influences. It would be interesting to find any links between these pathologies and similar disorders in elephants, and even the possibility of their occurrence in humans. We suspect such a connection: mammoths became extinct at least several thousand years ago, yet the congenital defects and acquired diseases of modern elephants bear some similarities to those seen in these megafauna, which share a common ancestor with elephants. We would like to examine the situation from the perspective of disease evolution and assess how dental diseases change under the influence of various factors. Therefore, we have sent a request to zoologists and veterinarians involved in the study and treatment of elephants in India (the Center for Environmental Studies, Bangalore) and Thailand (the Center for Elephant and Wildlife Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University) for the possibility of consultation. "Our Indian colleague has already responded and expressed great interest in working together," said Ekaterina Vasilyevna Parkhomchuk, Director of the NSU-NSC Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Center.
In the near future, the Isotope Research Laboratory of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences will conduct a layer-by-layer isotope analysis of all three tusks, while simultaneously preparing samples for dating. At the NSU-NSC Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Shared Use Center, the mammoths' lifespan will be determined using radiocarbon dating. Researchers will then study their elemental composition, which will reveal what the mammoths ate and how complete their diet was, the geographic locations they inhabited, and the directions they migrated. Using histological studies, the scientists hope to determine what diseases these megafauna suffered from, whether these diseases have disappeared in modern times or persist today, and whether they affect another, but surviving, lineage of elephants, a common ancestor of mammoths.
"We would be delighted to collaborate with researchers who possess other modern methods that allow us to approach the study of mammoth diseases. Until now, no one has seriously addressed this issue. Meanwhile, this is crucial in terms of contributing to the mammoth revival, which is no longer a fantasy but is becoming a reality. Our colleagues from Yakutia have established the World Mammoth Museum, where conditions are being created for the preservation and maximum prolongation of the life of all the unique specimens that are now being discovered as the permafrost melts," said Ekaterina Parkhomchuk.
Next, a histological examination of the tissues is planned. The NSU Laboratory of Nuclear and Innovative Medicine has modern, high-tech equipment that allows for ultrathin tissue sections to be prepared for microscopic examination using a digital scanner, which will yield a paleohistological data package in the form of electronic images.
"We plan to conduct microstructural paleontological research in collaboration with the Federal Research Center for Fundamental and Translational Medicine (FRC FTM) and my supervisor, Elena Koldysheva, Doctor of Biological Sciences and Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Pathological Processes at the Federal Research Center for Fundamental and Translational Medicine (FRC FTM). This is the first time histological studies of paleontological specimens have been performed, and if the megafauna tissue staining is successful, we will digitize the resulting microscopic images. This will make them accessible to specialists from a number of scientific organizations involved in the project. Preserving the structure during analysis will allow us to identify damage caused during life: thermal and mechanical injuries, congenital pathologies, or diseases acquired during life and their consequences. It may also be possible to reconstruct the morphological composition of the mammoth organs whose tissues were analyzed," explained Nikolai Kanygin, Junior Researcher at the FRC FTM (Institute of Molecular Pathology and Pathomorphology).
Scientists involved in the study of defective mammoth tusks are confident that it is now crucial to develop and apply the maximum number of methods for studying megafauna specimens in order to obtain the maximum amount of information about the finds from Yakutia.
"Such samples, removed from permafrost layers, thaw and quickly deteriorate. Soft tissues decompose, and bones quickly dry out and turn to dust. As a result, we lose a great deal of important information that could shed light on the cause of the mammoths' extinction. There are two competing points of view: some scientists believe that these megafauna, and subsequently many other species, were exterminated by an expanding population of ancient humans, while others believe that a catastrophic event, triggering climate change 10,000-15,000 years ago, was to blame. On the other hand, the modern climate is still suitable for many extinct animal species, including mammoths. Our research on mammoth tusks will help solve these mysteries of the past," concluded Ekaterina Parkhomchuk.
Reference:
The Department of Mammoth Fauna Studies is a research unit of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The department's objectives include studying the anatomical and morphological characteristics of mammoth fauna, their taxonomic status, and ecological adaptations. A second important area of research is paleoecological studies of the late Pleistocene in Yakutia, including vegetation, natural environments, and prevailing landscapes. A third area of research is studying the burial conditions of mammoth fauna specimens, including mammoth tusks, a valuable commercial resource for residents of Yakutia's Arctic regions.
In addition to these studies, which the department conducts independently, joint research projects are conducted with leading Russian and international scientific institutions. Genetic research plays an important role, involving, for example, staff from the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (A.S. Grafodatsky).
The department's projects involve numerous highly qualified specialists from various Russian institutes—Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg. Many types of analyses are conducted abroad, at the most reputable genetic and isotope centers.
Material prepared by: Elena Panfilo, NSU press service
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