![]() ![]() The calcium deposits make the horn core harder and stronger, and the melanin protects the core from breakdown by the sun’s UV rays, the scientists report. Researchers conducted CT scans on the horns at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital in Athens and found dense mineral deposits made of calcium and melanin in the middle. The team examined the heads of rhinos that died of natural causes and were donated by The Wilds in Cumberland, Ohio, and the Phoenix Zoo. ![]() Scientists had been puzzled by the difference, but the Ohio University study now has revealed an interesting clue: dark patches running through the center of the horns. Rhino horns are unique, however, because they are composed entirely of keratin. The horns of most animals have a bony core covered by a thin sheath of keratin, the same substance as hair and nails. Scientists have discovered new details about the structural materials that form the horn and the role those materials play in the development of the horn’s characteristic shape. ![]()
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