It is fitting that prevalence of brachygnathia superior in the photo of two elk in the Outdoors Section in the Missoulian on Thursday, October 11, 2012, closely corresponds to the prevalence we found on hunter-killed male elk examined for our 2011 study. (The key words on
Google if you want to read our study are Brachygnathia Superior or underbite, deer, Hoy et al.) The cow elk in the photo has an obvious underdeveloped upper face and underbite. The bull appears to have a normally developed upper face and normal bite. On this page, my credentials were called into question by hunters, so I consulted several biologists and ordinary citizens. They all confirmed the cow elk has obvious underbite and underdeveloped upper face. It would be excellent if all the hunters (especially those with credentials) who
harvest an elk this year would examine the mouth and if their elk has underbite or any other malformation, tell the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
Here is what people of voting age can do for wildlife, domestic animals and most importantly, for children. Ask all candidates who, if elected, are supposed to protect our health, what they will do to find what is causing the epidemic of Congenital Fetal Hypothyroidism. Vote for those candidates who promise to take action on this issue. More resource extraction, less taxes, etc. are moot points if you or your children are chronically ill or dead. Epigenetic changes are already evident on many species of vertebrate, causing serious population declines. All future generations of children and all other animals need your help.
Ask for a candidate’s views and then vote for people who express concern about this issue. For example, vote for John Ormiston for County Commissioner, who has examined this issue and expressed concern.
Judy Hoy
Stevensville