The Roots of Geophagy and Rare Earth Elements

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Abstract

Large-scale studies of the chemical composition of natural waters, soils, “edible” lands, vegetation, and animal tissues in two areas of Sikhote-Alin and literature data for Africa evidence for the “rare-earth” hypothesis of geophagy among humans and animals. Thus, geophagy in both animals and humans develops in landscapes with abnormally high or abnormally low concentrations of rare earth elements, but especially in landscapes with an abnormal natural ratio of rare earth elements of light and heavy subgroups. We suggest that the main mechanism of geophagy is to regulate the concentration and the ratio of rare earth elements in the body.

About the authors

A. M Panichev

Pacific Geographical Institute, Far Eastern Branch of RAS; Far Eastern Federal University

Email: sikhote@mail.ru
Vladivostok, Russia; Vladivostok, Russia

N. V Baranovskaya

Tomsk Polytechnic University

Tomsk, Russia

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