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    Megafaunal split ends: microscopical characterisation of hair structure and function in extinct woolly mammoth and woolly rhino

    Access Status
    Fulltext not available
    Authors
    Tridico, Silvana
    Rigby, P.
    Kirkbride, K.
    Haile, James
    Bunce, Michael
    Date
    2014
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
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    Citation
    Tridico, S. and Rigby, P. and Kirkbride, K. and Haile, J. and Bunce, M. 2014. Megafaunal split ends: microscopical characterisation of hair structure and function in extinct woolly mammoth and woolly rhino. Quaternary Science Reviews. 83: pp. 68-75.
    Source Title
    Quaternary Science Reviews
    DOI
    10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.10.032
    ISSN
    0277-3791
    School
    Department of Environment and Agriculture
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/49736
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    The large extinct megafaunal species of the Late Pleistocene, Mammuthus primigenius (woolly mammoth) and Coelodonta antiquitatis (woolly rhino) are renowned for their pelage. Despite this, very little research has been conducted on the form and function of hair from these iconic species. Using permafrost preserved hair samples from seven extinct megafaunal remains, this study presents an in-depth microscopical characterisation of preservation, taphonomy, microbial damage, pigmentation and morphological features of more than 420 hairs. The presence of unique structural features in hairs, from two extinct megafauna species, such as multiple medullae and unparallelled stiffness suggests evolution of traits that may have been critical for their survival in the harsh arctic environment. Lastly, despite popular depictions of red-haired and/or uniformly coloured mammoths, a closer examination of pigmentation reveals that mammoth coats may have exhibited a mottled/variegated appearance and that their ‘true’ colours were not the vivid red/orange colour often depicted in reconstructions. Insights gained from microscopical examination of hundreds of extinct megafauna hairs demonstrate the value of extracting as much morphological data as possible from ancient hairs prior to destructive sampling for molecular analyses.

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