Mysterious Bone Disease identified in Brazilian Dinosaur Fossils, May Explain Ancient Die-offs
SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – Scientists have identified evidence of osteomyelitis, a bone infection, in fossils of both small and giant dinosaur species discovered in the São José do Rio Preto Formation in Brazil. The research, supported by the Institute for the Study of Parasitic Hymenoptera in the Southeastern Region of Brazil (HYMPAR), reveals previously unknown forms of the disease and offers potential insight into factors contributing to dinosaur mortality.
The study, utilizing scanning electron and stereomicroscopes at IEHYPA-Sudeste (managed by Angélica Maria Penteado Martins Dias of the Federal University of São Carlos), uncovered three distinct types of osteomyelitis lesions. These included small protrusions,elliptical ”fingerprint-like” bumps,and larger,round marks perhaps connected to skin and muscle tissue,suggesting the infection could have opened and discharged blood or pus.
Unlike typical bone injuries which show signs of healing, these fossils exhibited no such regeneration, a characteristic also absent in fossilized dinosaur bite marks. The infected bones included a rib and specimens from the lower limbs of various species. While the exact cause of the infection remains unknown,researchers hypothesize the habitat – characterized by shallow rivers and standing water – may have fostered the development and transmission of pathogens via mosquitoes or contaminated water sources.
This builds on 2021 research published in Cretaceous Research which first identified bone infections caused by blood parasites in the small sauropod ibirania parva from the same location.
“These lesions may be connected to the muscles and skin, then they can open, oozing blood or pus,” explained researcher Aureliano. The team emphasizes the findings are valuable for future paleontological and archaeological research, providing a clearer understanding of disease manifestations in bone and differentiating osteomyelitis from other bone conditions like osteosarcoma and bone neoplasia. The area’s unique fossil-producing environment suggests it may have been particularly conducive to the spread of pathogens affecting dinosaurs, turtles, and crocodile-like animals.