Mastodon's [sic] faught [sic] hormonally charged battles at certain times of the year (Image: USGS)
Posted on 12/16/2006 2:17:43 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Battle scars on male mastodon tusks show these Ice Age giants were not the peaceful creatures once thought... The scars reveal they fought in brutal combat each year during seasonal phases of heightened sexual activity and aggression. The discovery, announced at a recent Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting in Ontario, counters the view that now-extinct mastodons were peaceful, passive creatures that rarely engaged in battles. It also strengthens the link between mastodon and modern elephant behaviour, since male bull elephants also fight seasonal, hormonally-charged battles to show their dominance and win desired mates... "Mastodon tusks curve upward strongly at the tips and appear to have been used in a vigorous up-thrusting motion," says Fisher. Elephant tusks are less curved and therefore tend to be used more "in a straight thrusting move", he adds... Fisher's analysis of mastodon tusks and skulls reveals that such ramming caused the lower part of the tusk to rotate backward, "crunching it against the back wall of the tusk socket".
(Excerpt) Read more at abc.net.au ...
Mastodon's [sic] faught [sic] hormonally charged battles at certain times of the year (Image: USGS)
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/695260/posts
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atlantisquest
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/952838/posts
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1503957/posts
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1713072/posts
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1730588/posts
Um...ARE there any "peaceful, passive creatures" found in nature?
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Why don't you ask him
If he's going to stay?
Why don't you ask him
If he's going away?
Why don't you tell me
What's going on?
Why don't you tell me
Who's on the phone?
Why don't you ask him
What's going on?
Why don't you ask him
Who's the latest on his throne?
Don't say that you love me!
Just tell me that you want me!
Tusk! tusk! tusk! tusk!
Tusk! tusk! tusk! tusk!
Tusk! tusk! tusk! tusk!
Tusk! tusk! tusk! tusk!
Liberals? Oh wait, they are not natural.
Hmmmm, ok, how about:
The Mastodon's epitaph: "NEVER FORGET!"
 |
Carol Lynley. Just look at her! Could you picture her in a bar room brawl?! |
Hippies. But only when they're really stoned.
Oysters?
Yeah. As the prize.
Sure, Bunny Rabbits and those cute little Ground Squirrels.
I'm series, we have each that make our front and back yards home.
I love the little boogers :-)
Oysters.
Them "cute" squirrels throw nuts at us when we are in the front yard.
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