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Baiano MA, Cerda IA, Bertozzo F, Pol D. New information on paleopathologies in non-avian theropod dinosaurs: a case study on South American abelisaurids. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:6. [PMID: 38291378 PMCID: PMC10829224 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02187-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Studies on pathological fossil bones have allowed improving the knowledge of physiology and ecology, and consequently the life history of extinct organisms. Among extinct vertebrates, non-avian dinosaurs have drawn attention in terms of pathological evidence, since a wide array of fossilized lesions and diseases were noticed in these ancient organisms. Here, we evaluate the pathological conditions observed in individuals of different brachyrostran (Theropoda, Abelisauridae) taxa, including Aucasaurus garridoi, Elemgasem nubilus, and Quilmesaurus curriei. For this, we use multiple methodological approaches such as histology and computed tomography, in addition to the macroscopic evaluation. The holotype of Aucasaurus shows several pathognomonic traits of a failure of the vertebral segmentation during development, causing the presence of two fused caudal vertebrae. The occurrence of this condition in Aucasaurus is the first case to be documented so far in non-tetanuran theropods. Regarding the holotype of Elemgasem, the histology of two fused vertebrae shows an intervertebral space between the centra, thus the fusion is limited to the distal rim of the articular surfaces. This pathology is here considered as spondyloarthropathy, the first evidence for a non-tetanuran theropod. The microstructural arrangement of the right tibia of Quilmesaurus shows a marked variation in a portion of the outer cortex, probably due to the presence of the radial fibrolamellar bone tissue. Although similar bone tissue is present in other extinct vertebrates and the cause of its formation is still debated, it could be a response to some kind of pathology. Among non-avian theropods, traumatic injuries are better represented than other maladies (e.g., infection, congenital or metabolic diseases, etc.). These pathologies are recovered mainly among large-sized theropods such as Abelisauridae, Allosauridae, Carcharodontosauridae, and Tyrannosauridae, and distributed principally among axial elements. Statistical tests on the distribution of injuries in these theropod clades show a strong association between taxa-pathologies, body regions-pathologies, and taxa-body regions, suggesting different life styles and behaviours may underlie the frequency of different injuries among theropod taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia A Baiano
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, 1425, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Area Laboratorio e Investigación, Museo Municipal 'Ernesto Bachmann', Dr Natali S/N, 8311, Villa El Chocon, Neuquén, Argentina.
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro (UNRN), Isidro Lobo 516, 8332, General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina.
| | - Ignacio A Cerda
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, 1425, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro (UNRN), Isidro Lobo 516, 8332, General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina
- Instituto de Investigacion en Paleobiología y Geología (IIPG), Av. Roca 1242, 8332, General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina
- Museo Carlos Ameghino, Belgrano 1700 (Paraje Pichi Ruca, Predio Marabunta), 8324, Cipolletti, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Filippo Bertozzo
- Operational Directorate Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Diego Pol
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, 1425, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, Av. Fontana 140, 9100, Trelew, Chubut, Argentina
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Fiorillo AR, Tykoski RS. Paleobiological inferences from paleopathological occurrences in the Arctic ceratopsian Pachyrhinosaurus perotorum. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:1697-1711. [PMID: 36271743 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
As a key tool for understanding how animals lived in the past, paleopathology informs us about the lives and deaths of fossil animals. We identify paleopathologies within an assemblage of bones of the pachyrostran centrosaurine Pachyrhinosaurus perotorum, an Arctic ceratopsian. More than 1,000 bones of this dinosaur were collected from the Prince Creek Formation of North Slope, Alaska from fossil sites along the Colville River. Our survey shows the occurrence of paleopathology to be very low and comparable to other populations of horned dinosaurs from the lower latitudes, suggesting that the ancient Arctic environment did not impose intense hardships on these dinosaurs greater than in other environments, as expressed by paleopathological modification of the skeleton. This result may be due to the more equable mean annual temperatures in the Arctic region during the Cretaceous. Also of interest, the frequency of occurrence of paleopathology in the Arctic Pachyrhinosaurus population is very low compared to populations of fossil and historic quadrupedal artiodactyls that are recognized as long distance wanderers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony R Fiorillo
- The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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3
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D'Anastasio R, Cilli J, Bacchia F, Fanti F, Gobbo G, Capasso L. Histological and chemical diagnosis of a combat lesion in Triceratops. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3941. [PMID: 35393445 PMCID: PMC8990019 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08033-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In the collective imagination derived from scientific and popular literature, Triceratops often faced each other in combat. Thus, from the second half of the twentieth century, these ceratopsids were described as pugnacious animals. This arises primarily from the interpretation of extracranial fenestrae in ceratopsids being the result of combat trauma. However, the diagnosis of the traumatic nature of these anatomical variants of their neck frill requires evidence of bone healing and remodelling by microscopy analysis. Here, we present the case of the Triceratops horridus known as Big John, which is one of the largest specimens discovered in the Hell Creek Formation (Upper Cretaceous; MT, USA). Its right squamosal bone shows an extrafenestra with irregular margins and signs of inflammation. Microscopy analysis revealed newly formed and healing bone, with histological signs typical of the bone remodelling phase. Chemical analysis revealed sulphur that was derived from glycosaminoglycan's and sulphated glycoproteins of the preosseous osteoid substance present in the healing phases of a bone trauma. Histological and microanalytical analyses confirm that the squamosal fenestra of Big John is the result of a traumatic event, which might indeed have occurred during combat with another Triceratops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruggero D'Anastasio
- Department of Medicine and Aging Science, 'G. D'Annunzio' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
| | - Jacopo Cilli
- Department of Medicine and Aging Science, 'G. D'Annunzio' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | | | - Federico Fanti
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giacomo Gobbo
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luigi Capasso
- Department of Medicine and Aging Science, 'G. D'Annunzio' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
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Bertozzo F, Manucci F, Dempsey M, Tanke DH, Evans DC, Ruffell A, Murphy E. Description and etiology of paleopathological lesions in the type specimen of Parasaurolophus walkeri (Dinosauria: Hadrosauridae), with proposed reconstructions of the nuchal ligament. J Anat 2020; 238:1055-1069. [PMID: 33289113 PMCID: PMC8053592 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Paleopathology, or the study of ancient injuries and diseases, can enable the ecology and life history of extinct taxa to be deciphered. Large-bodied ornithopods are the dinosaurs with the highest frequencies of paleopathology reported to-date. Among these, the crested hadrosaurid Parasaurolophus walkeri is one of the most famous, largely due to its dramatic elongated and tubular nasal crest. The holotype of Parasaurolophus walkeri at the Royal Ontario Museum, Canada, displays several paleopathologies that have not been discussed in detail previously: a dental lesion in the left maxilla, perhaps related to periodontal disease; callus formation associated with fractures in three dorsal ribs; a discoidal overgrowth above dorsal neural spines six and seven; a cranially oriented spine in dorsal seven, that merges distally with spine six; a V-shaped gap between dorsal spines seven and eight; and a ventral projection of the pubic process of the ilium which covers, and is fused with, the lateral side of the iliac process of the pubis. These lesions suggest that the animal suffered from one or more traumatic events, with the main one causing a suite of injuries to the anterior aspect of the thorax. The presence of several lesions in a single individual is a rare observation and, in comparison with a substantial database of hadrosaur paleopathological lesions, has the potential to reveal new information about the biology and behavior of these ornithopods. The precise etiology of the iliac abnormality is still unclear, although it is thought to have been an indirect consequence of the anterior trauma. The discoidal overgrowth above the two neural spines also seems to be secondary to the severe trauma inflicted on the ribs and dorsal spines, and probably represents post-traumatic ossification of the base of the nuchal ligament. The existence of this structure has previously been considered in hadrosaurs and dinosaurs more generally through comparison of origin and insertion sites in modern diapsids (Rhea americana, Alligator mississippiensis, Iguana iguana), but its presence, structure, and origin-attachment sites are still debated. The V-shaped gap is hypothesized as representing the point between the stresses of the nuchal ligament, pulling the anterior neural spines forward, and the ossified tendons pulling the posterior neural spines backward. Different reconstructions of the morphology of the structure based on the pathological conditions affecting the neural spines of ROM 768 are proposed. Finally, we review the history of reconstructions for Parasaurolophus walkeri showing how erroneous misconceptions have been perpetuated over time or have led to the development of new hypotheses, including the wide neck model supported in the current research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Bertozzo
- School of Natural and Built EnvironmentQueen’s University BelfastBelfastUK
- CI2PaleoSociedade de Historia NaturalTorres VedrasPortugal
| | - Fabio Manucci
- Associazione Paleontologica Paleoartistica ItalianaParmaItaly
| | - Matthew Dempsey
- Department of Musculoskeletal & Ageing ScienceUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | | | - David C. Evans
- Royal Ontario MuseumTorontoONCanada
- Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Alastair Ruffell
- School of Natural and Built EnvironmentQueen’s University BelfastBelfastUK
| | - Eileen Murphy
- School of Natural and Built EnvironmentQueen’s University BelfastBelfastUK
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Hamm CA, Hampe O, Schwarz D, Witzmann F, Makovicky PJ, Brochu CA, Reiter R, Asbach P. A comprehensive diagnostic approach combining phylogenetic disease bracketing and CT imaging reveals osteomyelitis in a Tyrannosaurus rex. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18897. [PMID: 33144637 PMCID: PMC7642268 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75731-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditional palaeontological techniques of disease characterisation are limited to the analysis of osseous fossils, requiring several lines of evidence to support diagnoses. This study presents a novel stepwise concept for comprehensive diagnosis of pathologies in fossils by computed tomography imaging for morphological assessment combined with likelihood estimation based on systematic phylogenetic disease bracketing. This approach was applied to characterise pathologies of the left fibula and fused caudal vertebrae of the non-avian dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex. Initial morphological assessment narrowed the differential diagnosis to neoplasia or infection. Subsequent data review from phylogenetically closely related species at the clade level revealed neoplasia rates as low as 3.1% and 1.8%, while infectious-disease rates were 32.0% and 53.9% in extant dinosaurs (birds) and non-avian reptiles, respectively. Furthermore, the survey of literature revealed that within the phylogenetic disease bracket the oldest case of bone infection (osteomyelitis) was identified in the mandible of a 275-million-year-old captorhinid eureptile Labidosaurus. These findings demonstrate low probability of a neoplastic aetiology of the examined pathologies in the Tyrannosaurus rex and in turn, suggest that they correspond to multiple foci of osteomyelitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- C A Hamm
- Department of Radiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Greifswald University Hospital, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Straße, 17475, Greifswald, Germany
| | - O Hampe
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - D Schwarz
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - F Witzmann
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - P J Makovicky
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
| | - C A Brochu
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - R Reiter
- Department of Radiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Richard and Loan Hill Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - P Asbach
- Department of Radiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
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6
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Hall AS, Jacobs JL, Smith EN. Possible osteosarcoma reported from a new world elapid snake and review of reptilian bony tumors. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2020; 303:2955-2966. [PMID: 32864868 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Cancer chiefly occurs in vertebrates. Rare in amphibians, and perhaps common in reptiles, various neoplasms and malignant cancers have been reported with erratic frequency by museums, paleontologists, veterinarians, and pet hobbyists. Unsurprisingly, most herpetofaunal diversity has never been systematically surveyed for the presence of neoplasms owing to the extreme rarity or obscurity of many species. Museum collections can fill these gaps in knowledge, especially when researchers use non-destructive techniques. In this study, we used X-ray computed tomography (CT) to discover and characterize a possible osteosarcoma of the spine in a rare South American coralsnake, Micrurus ancoralis. Two spinal vertebrae were completely fused and adjacent vertebrae showed evidence of corruption. The fused vertebrae contained a hollow inner network thought to be vascular tissue. We also review previous reports of neoplasms in the Elapidae and all bony neoplasms in non-avian reptiles. The rarely reported technique of X-ray CT for tumor discovery could greatly improve our understanding of the species diversity and perhaps underlying causes of neoplasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander S Hall
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
| | - Justin L Jacobs
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
| | - Eric N Smith
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
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7
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Lin YY, Jean YH, Lin SC, Feng CW, Kuo HM, Lai YC, Kuo TJ, Chen NF, Lee HP, Wen ZH. Etoricoxib prevents progression of osteolysis in repeated intra-articular monosodium urate-induced gouty arthritis in rats. J Adv Res 2020; 24:109-120. [PMID: 32257433 PMCID: PMC7114632 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2020.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in the joint or synovium is the major factor in Gouty arthritis (GA). The clinical features of chronic and recurrent GA include pain and the subsequent development of chronic tophaceous GA with multiple tophi deposits accompanied by osteolysis. The majority of previous animal studies have focused on MSU-induced acute GA without making observations regarding osteolysis. In the study, intra-articular injections of MSU into the knee (2 times/week for 10 weeks) was used to induce chronic and recurrent attacks of GA that in turn induced progressive osteolysis. Moreover, we also evaluated whether the clinical, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) etoricoxib attenuated the osteoclastogenesis of progressive osteolysis. The knee morphometry and the expression of osteoclastogenesis-related proteins (cathepsin K and matrix metalloproteinase-9 and -13) in the knee were examined by micro-CT and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Results showed that oral etoricoxib not only significantly attenuated the nociceptive behaviors of the rats but that it also inhibited the expression of osteoclastogenesis-related proteins in their knee joints in chronic and recurrent attacks of GA. Our findings thus suggest that NSAIDs not only inhibit nociception but also prevent the progression of osteolysis in chronic and repeated attacks of GA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-You Lin
- Department of Sports Medicine, China Medical University, No. 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Hsuan Jean
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Pingtung Christian Hospital, Pingtung, No. 60, Dalian Road, Pingtung 90059, Taiwan
| | - Sung-Chun Lin
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Pingtung Christian Hospital, Pingtung, No. 60, Dalian Road, Pingtung 90059, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Wei Feng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, No.100, Tzyou 1st Rd., Sanmin Dist., Kaohsiung City 80756, Taiwan
| | - Hsiao-Mei Kuo
- Center for Neuroscience, National Sun Yat-sen University, No.70, Lianhai Road, Gushan District, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Cheng Lai
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, No.70, Lianhai Road, Gushan District, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
- Department of Orthopedics, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, No.386, Dazhong 1st Road, Zuoying District, Kaohsiung 81362, Taiwan
| | - Tsu-Jen Kuo
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, No.70, Lianhai Road, Gushan District, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
- Department of Stomatology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, No.386, Dazhong 1st Road, Zuoying District, Kaohsiung 81362, Taiwan
| | - Nan-Fu Chen
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, #2, Zhongzheng 1st Road, Lingya District, Kaohsiung 802, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Pai Lee
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Pingtung Christian Hospital, Pingtung, No. 60, Dalian Road, Pingtung 90059, Taiwan
| | - Zhi-Hong Wen
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, No.70, Lianhai Road, Gushan District, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, No.70, Lianhai Road, Gushan District, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
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Jentgen-Ceschino B, Stein K, Fischer V. Case study of radial fibrolamellar bone tissues in the outer cortex of basal sauropods. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190143. [PMID: 31928196 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The histology of sauropod long bones often appears uniform and conservative along their evolutionary tree. One of the main aspects of their bone histology is to exhibit a fibrolamellar complex in the cortex of their long bones. Here, we report another bone tissue, the radial fibrolamellar bone (RFB), in the outer cortex of the humeri of a young adult cf. Isanosaurus (Early to Late Jurassic, Thailand) and an adult Spinophorosaurus nigerensis (Early to Middle Jurassic, Niger) that do not exhibit any pathological feature on the bone surface. Its location within the cortex is unexpected, because RFB is a rapidly deposited bone tissue that would rather be expected early in the ontogeny. A palaeopathological survey was conducted for these sampled specimens. Observed RFB occurrences are regarded as spiculated periosteal reactive bone, which is an aggressive form of periosteal reaction. A 'hair-on-end' pattern of neoplasmic origin (resembling a Ewing's sarcoma) is favoured for cf. Isanosaurus, while a sunburst pattern of viral or neoplasmic origin (resembling an avian osteopetrosis or haemangioma) is favoured for Spinophorosaurus. This study highlights the importance of bone histology in assessing the frequency and nature of palaeopathologies. This article is part of the theme issue 'Vertebrate palaeophysiology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Jentgen-Ceschino
- Department of Geology, Université de Liège, 14 Allée du 6 Aout, Liège 4000, Belgium.,Earth System Science - AMGC, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Koen Stein
- Earth System Science - AMGC, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.,Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Directorate 'Earth and History of Life', Rue Vautier 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Valentin Fischer
- Department of Geology, Université de Liège, 14 Allée du 6 Aout, Liège 4000, Belgium
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Hearn L, Williams ACDC. Pain in dinosaurs: what is the evidence? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190370. [PMID: 31544618 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
How far back can we trace behaviour associated with pain? Behaviour is not preserved in the palaeontological record, so, for dinosaurs, we are restricted to what we can deduce from fossilized bones and tracks. This review is a thought experiment using circumstantial evidence from dinosaur fossils and from the behaviour of their extant relatives to describe probable responses of dinosaurs to serious injuries. Searches yielded 196 papers and chapters with: reports of healed serious injuries, and limping gait and injured feet in trackways; information about physiology and behaviour relevant to healing; evidence of evolutionary connections with birds and crocodilians, and their behaviour; and information about relevant aspects of evolution. Clearly, many dinosaurs survived injuries that would have seriously hampered mobility, impairing hunting or escape from predators, and affecting social interactions. Recovery from severe injuries implies pain-mediated responses. Rates of healing seem faster than for other reptiles, possibily aided by warm-bloodedness. Nesting was often communal, raising the possibility of parental and group protection for injured young. The existence of family groups, packs or herds raises the possibility of protection or feeding from pack kills. This is the first study, to our knowledge, of possible pain behaviour and responses to injury in dinosaurs. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Les Hearn
- Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Review Group, Oxford, UK
| | - Amanda C de C Williams
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
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10
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First Documented Pathologies in Tenontosaurus tilletti with Comments on Infection in Non-Avian Dinosaurs. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8705. [PMID: 31213629 PMCID: PMC6581885 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45101-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2001, a nearly complete sub-adult Tenontosaurus tilletti was collected from the Antlers Formation (Aptian-Albian) of southeastern Oklahoma. Beyond its exceptional preservation, computed tomography (CT) and physical examination revealed this specimen has five pathological elements with four of the pathologies a result of trauma. Left pedal phalanx I-1 and left dorsal rib 10 are both fractured with extensive callus formation in the later stages of healing. Left dorsal rib 7 (L7) and right dorsal rib 10 (R10) exhibit impacted fractures compressed 26 mm and 24 mm, respectively. The fracture morphologies in L7 and R10 indicate this animal suffered a strong compressive force coincident with the long axis of the ribs. All three rib pathologies and the pathological left phalanx I-1 are consistent with injuries sustained in a fall. However, it is clear from the healing exhibited by these fractures that this individual survived the fall. In addition to traumatic fractures, left dorsal rib 10 and possibly left phalanx I-1 have a morphology consistent with post-traumatic infection in the form of osteomyelitis. The CT scans of left metacarpal IV revealed the presence of an abscess within the medullary cavity consistent with a subacute form of hematogenous osteomyelitis termed a Brodie abscess. This is only the second reported Brodie abscess in non-avian dinosaurs and the first documented occurrence in herbivorous dinosaurs. The presence of a Brodie abscess, known only in mammalian pathological literature, suggest mammalian descriptors for bone infection may be applicable to non-avian dinosaurs.
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11
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Surmik D, Szczygielski T, Janiszewska K, Rothschild BM. Tuberculosis-like respiratory infection in 245-million-year-old marine reptile suggested by bone pathologies. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:180225. [PMID: 30110474 PMCID: PMC6030318 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.180225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
An absence of ancient archaeological and palaeontological evidence of pneumonia contrasts with its recognition in the more recent archaeological record. We document an apparent infection-mediated periosteal reaction affecting the dorsal ribs in a Middle Triassic eosauropterygian historically referred to as 'Proneusticosaurus' silesiacus. High-resolution X-ray microtomography and histological studies of the pathologically altered ribs revealed the presence of a continuous solid periosteal reaction with multiple superficial blebs (protrusions) on the visceral surfaces of several ribs. Increased vascularization and uneven lines of arrested growth document that the pathology was the result of a multi-seasonal disease. While visceral surface localization of this periosteal reaction represents the earliest identified evidence for pneumonia, the blebs may have an additional implication: they have only been previously recognized in humans with tuberculosis (TB). Along with this diagnosis is the presence of focal vertebral erosions, parsimoniously compared to vertebral manifestation of TB in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawid Surmik
- Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia, Będzińska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
- Park of Science and Human Evolution, 1 Maja 10, 46-040 Krasiejów, Poland
- Author for correspondence: Dawid Surmik e-mail:
| | - Tomasz Szczygielski
- Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Janiszewska
- Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bruce M. Rothschild
- Carnegie Museum, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
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12
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Witzmann F. Mini‐series: palaeopathology – a fresh look at ancient diseases in the fossil record. J Zool (1987) 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- F. Witzmann
- Museum für Naturkunde Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science Berlin Germany
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13
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Stilkerich J, Smrecak TA, De Baets K. 3D-Analysis of a non-planispiral ammonoid from the Hunsrück Slate: natural or pathological variation? PeerJ 2017; 5:e3526. [PMID: 28674668 PMCID: PMC5494166 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We herein examine the only known non-planispirally coiled early Devonian ammonoid, the holotype specimen of Ivoites opitzi, to investigate if the host was encrusted in vivo and if these sclerobionts were responsible for the trochospiral coiling observed in this unique specimen. To test if the presence of runner-like sclerobionts infested the historically collected specimen of Ivoites opitzi during its life, we used microCT to produce a three-dimensional model of the surface of the specimen. Our results indicate that sclerobionts grew across the outer rim (venter) on both sides of the ammonoid conch at exactly the location where the deviation from the planispiral was recognized, and where subsequent ammonoid growth would likely preclude encrustation. This indicates in vivo encrustation of the I. opitzi specimen, and represents the earliest documentation of the phenomenon. Further, this suggests that non-planispiral coiling in I. opitzi was likely pathologically induced and does not represent natural morphological variation in the species. Despite the observed anomalies in coiling, the specimen reached adulthood and retains important identifying morphological features, suggesting the ammonoid was minimally impacted by encrustation in life. As such, appointing a new type specimen—as suggested by some authors—for the species is not necessary. In addition, we identify the sclerobionts responsible for modifying the coiling of this specimen as hederelloids, a peculiar group of sclerobionts likely related to phoronids. Hederelloids in the Devonian are commonly found encrusting on fossils collected in moderately deep environments within the photic zone and are rarely documented in dysphotic and aphotic samples. This indicates that when the ammonoid was encrusted it lived within the euphotic zone and supports the latest interpretations of the Hunsrück Slate depositional environment in the Bundenbach-Gemünden area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Stilkerich
- Geozentrum Nordbayern, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Trisha A Smrecak
- Department of Geology, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, United States of America
| | - Kenneth De Baets
- Geozentrum Nordbayern, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Anné J, Hedrick BP, Schein JP. First diagnosis of septic arthritis in a dinosaur. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160222. [PMID: 27853597 PMCID: PMC5108947 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Identification and interpretation of pathologies in the fossil record allows for unique insights into the life histories of extinct organisms. However, the rarity of such finds limits not only the sample size for palaeopathologic studies, but also the types of analyses that may be performed. In this study, we present the first occurrence of a palaeopathology in a vertebrate from the Mesozoic of the East Coast of North America (Appalachia), a pathologic ulna and radius of an indeterminate hadrosaur from the Navesink Formation (New Jersey). X-ray microtomography allowed for both detailed and more accurate diagnosis of the pathologic condition as well as virtual conservation of the specimen. Based on extant archosaurian comparisons, the hadrosaur was diagnosed with severe septic arthritis affecting the proximal ulna and radius. Diagnosis was based on erosion of the joint and highly reactive periosteal bone growth and fusion of the elements. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first recorded account of septic arthritis in dinosaurs. The severity of the pathology suggests the animal suffered with this condition for some time before death. Unfortunately, only the ulna and radius were found. Thus, the extent to which the condition spread to other parts of the body is unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Anné
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
- Author for correspondence: Jennifer Anné e-mail:
| | - Brandon P. Hedrick
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Jason P. Schein
- Bureau of Natural History, New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ 08625, USA
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