Long-term researches of lithophagy phenomenon amongst herbivorous animals (most of them took place in the Sikhote-Alin mountains, the Russian Far East) and also analysis of the material devoted to studying medical and biological properties of natural minerals which are consumed by animals allow us to make a conclusion that lithophagy phenomenon in all its diversity could be explained as instinctive wish of the organism to correct the material constitution and functions of its systems with the help of natural minerals which can be violated under the influence of different unfavorable environmental stress-factors. The possibility of this correction can be explained by similar properties which a lot of hypergene minerals have, concerning regulation of biological, physiological and energetic processes in living organisms. Ecological consequences coming from the concept of lithophagial instinct are shown on the example of the Sikhote-Alin mountain taiga landscape.
Pacific science review, 2011. – Vol. 13, №1. – P. 64-70.