AMERICA – Fred is ancient elephant who was born more than 13,000 years ago in America. At first, he spent his life close to his family. But, at one point in his teenage years, Fred left his family and forged his own path.
For the rest of his life, Fred explored what is now Indiana. Every summer , he will compete with other males to get a mate through physical combat. Unfortunately, in a fight for love, Fred dies. He was 34 at the time, which is relatively young for an elephant. Then, his body sank into the marshy ground.
Today, Fred’s large skeleton is housed in the Indiana State Museum. And his tusks were recently the subject of a research study tracing his life story.
By analyzing the chemical compounds in the tusks, the research team was able to produce a detailed report on Fred’s seasonal migration patterns. Josh Miller, a paleoecologist at the University of Cincinnati, refers to Fred as a Buesching mastodon. Named after the family farm where Fred’s body was found. Fred is a distant relative of the modern elephant.
Miller said that the swamp preserved Fred’s bones intact and could be used for research. “Fred’s bones are very beautiful. The tusks are also intact,” he said.
The tusks of ancient elephants provide scientists with a wealth of information about their life cycle. Photo: ist
“Mastodon’s tusks grew in different layers, much like the rings on a tree trunk. As a result, the nutrients that make up Fred’s tusk layer can tell us a lot about where he was at various points in his life. These layers keep a diary of Fred’s behavior.” added Miller.
The team focused their analysis on variations in two particular elements: strontium and oxygen. “Each element comes in a different isotope, a different kind of taste,” Miller said.
The isotope of strontium is the key to understanding where geographically Fred spent his life. Isotopes of oxygen tell the season when Fred is in a certain area. The different oxygen isotopes each season give researchers insight into the timing of Fred’s migration patterns.
Both isotopes are correctly recorded in Fred’s ivory. Then, with some statistical modeling, Miller and his team were able to determine exactly where and when each piece of Fred’s tusk grew.
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