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Uberabatitan (titanosaur) with bone pathologies in tail
Ben Creisler
bcreisler@gmail.com
A recent paper not yet mentioned:
Agustín G. Martinelli, Vicente P. A. Teixeira, Thiago S. Marinho,
Pedro H. M. Fonseca, Camila L. Cavellani, Adauto J. G. Araujo, Luiz C.
B. Ribeiro and Mara L. F. Ferraz (2015)
Fused mid-caudal vertebrae in the titanosaur Uberabatitan ribeiroi
from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil and other bone lesions.
Lethaia (advance online publication)
DOI: 10.1111/let.12117
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/let.12117/abstract
Bone pathology in the titanosaur dinosaur Uberabatitan ribeiroi from
the Marília Formation (Bauru Group, Late Cretaceous) of Uberaba city
(Minas Gerais State, Brazil) is analysed here. They include two fused
procoelous mid-caudal vertebrae (CPPLIP-1020) and a haemal arch
(CPPLIP-1006) of the middle section of the tail with a healing
fracture callus. The analyses of the caudal vertebrae CPPLIP-1020 of
Uberabatitan permit us to recognize the following signs, based on CT
scan and external macroscopic observations: (1) ossified longitudinal
tendons; (2) likely ossified intervertebral disc, producing fused
vertebral bodies; (3) fused right zygapophyseal process with a
laterally developed osteophyte affecting this joint; (4) osteophytes
and exostoses at different portions of the vertebrae; (5) cloacae,
bone erosion and likely internal infection. According to all the
processes observed in these caudals, we could not discard at least two
possibilities for the diagnosis of the fused vertebrae. It could be
the result of a spondyloarthropathy process (considering most of the
observed signs) or possibly have been associated with an infection
(e.g. discospondylitis/infections spondylitis or septic arthritis).
The bone lesion record in Uberabatitan ribeiroi from the Late
Cretaceous of Brazil increases the range of study of titanosaur
dinosaurs, which although have a large fossil record, have few
pathological studies.