A sled dog's thick fur coat may do more than protect it from inclement weather: Scientists say it can be used to detect mercury contamination in the environment — and possibly even in humans."The foods sled dogs are eating are scraps left over from people in the villages," said Peter Bowers, an archaeologist at Northern Land Use Research, an Alaskan consulting firm, who contributed to a study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment in October.Since the sled dog's fish diet is similar to that of Alaska's indigenous population, scientists believe the racing huskies can provide a unique insight not only into how much mercury humans are eating, but also into where the toxin enters the food chain. Other animals like caribou and coyotes may not be as suited to predict the element in humans because they are difficult to follow and have different diets. Mercury levels in fish change depending on their location and feeding habits, and testing dog hair from different … [Read more...] about Dog Fur Reveals Mercury Pollution