Sequential Hair Shaft as an Indicator of Prior Mineralization in the Alaskan Moose2

Longitudinal analysis of the moose hair shaft (Alces alces gigas) for 10 mineral elements (cadmium calcium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium and zinc) demonstrated the ability of hair to act as a monitor of previous hair mineral states. A significant mean correlation of monthly results with sequentially derived data was noted for all elements with the exception of zinc. Adsorption of zinc onto the hair shaft may be involved in elevated zinc levels for the sectioned hair samples. Sex influences in hair mineralization were noted, so that in females seven elements had significant correlations between the two sampling techniques (Ca, Cd, Fe, K, Mg, Na, Pb), whereas in males six elements had significant correlations (Ca, Cu, K, Mg, Mn, Pb). Thus, the uptake and retention of many mineral elements in moose hair are consistent enough so as to allow sequential analysis to describe prior mineralization.