Scientists Crack Rhino Horn Riddle
Rhinoceros horns have long been objects of mythological beliefs. Some cultures prize them for their supposed magical or medicinal qualities. Others have used them as dagger handles or good luck charms. But new research at Ohio University removes some of the mystique by explaining how the horn gets its distinctive curve and sharply pointed tip.
Scientists have discovered new details about the structural materials that form the horn and the role those materials play in the development of the horn’s characteristic shape.
The horns of most animals have a bony core covered by a thin sheath of keratin, the same substance as hair and nails. Rhino horns are unique, however, because they are composed entirely of keratin. Scientists had been puzzled by the difference, but the Ohio University study now has revealed an interesting clue: dark patches running through the center of the horns.
The team examined the heads of rhinos that died of natural causes and were donated by The Wilds in Cumberland, Ohio, and the Phoenix Zoo. Researchers conducted CT scans on the horns at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital in Athens and found dense mineral deposits made of calcium and melanin in the middle.
The calcium deposits make the horn core harder and stronger, and the melanin protects the core from breakdown by the sun’s UV rays, the scientists report. The softer outer portion of the horn weakens with sun exposure and is worn into its distinctive shape through horn clashing and by being rubbed on the ground and vegetation.
So for those that are driving some rhino subspecies to extinction because they’re killing them for the supposed magical properties of the horn, they’re basically just eating fingernails. Keratin -
any one of a class of fibrous protein molecules that serve as structural units for various living tissues. The keratins are the major protein components of hair, wool, nails, horn, hoofs, and the quills of feathers. These proteins generally contain large quantities of the sulfur-containing amino acids, particularly cysteine.
Congratulations to Jerry McNerney, the state of California, and America for getting rid of Congress critter Richard Pombo, Pombo foe says Bush visit clinched his win
Jerry McNerney, the Democratic mathematician-turned-political conqueror who defied odds-makers and defeated seven-term GOP Rep. Richard Pombo, said the turning point in the race came about five weeks ago when President Bush made a campaign stop in Stockton to stump for the Republican incumbent.
The visit fired up Pombo’s opponents, chief among them environmental activists who made the San Joaquin County Republican their No. 1 target and spent more than $1 million in their battle.
“I knew then that I was going to win,” McNerney said in an interview Wednesday. “I just didn’t have any idea how big the margin would be.”
The margin was significant. By the time polls closed Tuesday night, McNerney, a wind energy consultant from Pleasanton, won with 53 percent of the vote, besting Pombo by more than 10,000 votes.
