부산대학교 도서관

Where hyaenas were absent, osteodystrophy in vulture chicks due to Ca and P deficiency occurred in 17% of chicks, but no chicks suffered from this metabolic bone disease at sites where hyaenas were present (Richardson et al., 1986). In this inorganic white powder form (Figure 1c), hyaena faeces mimic the application of bone meal, a common fertiliser for soils, whereby stable Ca phosphates become increasingly soluble with decreasing soil pH (Jeng et al., 2007). Bones contain significant levels of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P), which are important to the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems (Carter et al., 2007). [Extracted from the article]