Osteophagy is the practice whereby herbivores Herbivory is a form of predation in which an organism, known as a herbivore, consumes principally autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. By that definition, many fungi, some bacteria, many animals, some protists and a small number of parasitic plants can be considered herbivores. However, herbivory is generally restricted consume bones. This practice usually occurs place in a nutrient-deficient environment. The animals consume the bones in order to obtain such necessary elements as phosphorus Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus is commonly found in inorganic phosphate rocks. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms - white phosphorus and red phosphorus. Although the term "phosphorescence", meaning glow after illumination, and calcium Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft grey alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth most abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust. Calcium is also the fifth most abundant dissolved ion in seawater by both molarity and mass, after sodium, chloride,.
- An example of animals exhibiting this practice are giraffes, who in Africa are known to seek out elephant graveyards in order to consume their bones.
References
- Campbell, Biology, 7th ed. (Benjamin-Cummings, New York, NY 2006) ISBN 0-471-52229-5
Categories: Nutrition
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Loren Coleman
Sun, 10 Dec 2006 00:23:13 GM
The spotted hyena, its cousin if you will, would eat the prey while its alive - like wild dogs, and there would be signs of . osteophagy. . A simple kill to identify. Wasn't the animal pictured above. Molecular data will show that. ...
