10.5061/DRYAD.59RM087
Surmik, Dawid
University of Silesia
Szczygielski, Tomasz
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Janiszewska, Katarzyna
Polish Academy of Sciences
Rothschild, Bruce M.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Data from: Tuberculosis-like respiratory infection in 245-million-year-old
marine reptile suggested by bone pathologies
Dryad
dataset
2018
osteopathology
Triassic
paleopathology
Tuberculosis
ecotrophism
2018-04-25T15:49:13Z
2018-04-25T15:49:13Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180225
52544956 bytes
1
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
An absence of archaeological and palaeontological evidence of pneumonia in
the remote past contrasts with its recognition in the more recent
archaeologic 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 (XMT) 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
elevated 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. Parsimonious with
this diagnosis is the presence of focal vertebral erosions, another
manifestation of tuberculosis in humans.
Supplementary Movie S1Three-dimensional visualization of extracted rib
fragment showing vasculature of the bone.Supplementary Movie
1.aviSupplementary Movie S2XMT sections showing microstructure of
rib.Supplementary Movie 2.aviSupplementary Movie S3CT sectioning of whole
specimen MG UWr. 4438s.Supplementary Movie 3.avi