First Reported Cases of Biomechanically Adaptive Bone Modeling in Non-Avian Dinosaurs.
Predator confrontation or predator evasion frequently produces bone fractures in potential prey in the wild. Although there are reports of healed bone injuries and pathologies in non-avian dinosaurs, no previously published instances of biomechanically adaptive bone modeling exist. Two tibiae from a...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2015-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0131131 |
| _version_ | 1818362972109537280 |
|---|---|
| author | Jorge Cubo Holly Woodward Ewan Wolff John R Horner |
| author_facet | Jorge Cubo Holly Woodward Ewan Wolff John R Horner |
| author_sort | Jorge Cubo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Predator confrontation or predator evasion frequently produces bone fractures in potential prey in the wild. Although there are reports of healed bone injuries and pathologies in non-avian dinosaurs, no previously published instances of biomechanically adaptive bone modeling exist. Two tibiae from an ontogenetic sample of fifty specimens of the herbivorous dinosaur Maiasaura peeblesorum (Ornithopoda: Hadrosaurinae) exhibit exostoses. We show that these outgrowths are cases of biomechanically adaptive periosteal bone modeling resulting from overstrain on the tibia after a fibula fracture. Histological and biomechanical results are congruent with predictions derived from this hypothesis. Histologically, the outgrowths are constituted by radial fibrolamellar periosteal bone tissue formed at very high growth rates, as expected in a process of rapid strain equilibration response. These outgrowths show greater compactness at the periphery, where tensile and compressive biomechanical constraints are higher. Moreover, these outgrowths increase the maximum bending strength in the direction of the stresses derived from locomotion. They are located on the antero-lateral side of the tibia, as expected in a presumably bipedal one year old individual, and in the posterior position of the tibia, as expected in a presumably quadrupedal individual at least four years of age. These results reinforce myological evidence suggesting that Maiasaura underwent an ontogenetic shift from the primitive ornithischian bipedal condition when young to a derived quadrupedal posture when older. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T21:41:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a0b991109cd1483187f5205c17d728e0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T21:41:04Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-a0b991109cd1483187f5205c17d728e02022-12-21T23:30:32ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032015-01-01107e013113110.1371/journal.pone.0131131First Reported Cases of Biomechanically Adaptive Bone Modeling in Non-Avian Dinosaurs.Jorge CuboHolly WoodwardEwan WolffJohn R HornerPredator confrontation or predator evasion frequently produces bone fractures in potential prey in the wild. Although there are reports of healed bone injuries and pathologies in non-avian dinosaurs, no previously published instances of biomechanically adaptive bone modeling exist. Two tibiae from an ontogenetic sample of fifty specimens of the herbivorous dinosaur Maiasaura peeblesorum (Ornithopoda: Hadrosaurinae) exhibit exostoses. We show that these outgrowths are cases of biomechanically adaptive periosteal bone modeling resulting from overstrain on the tibia after a fibula fracture. Histological and biomechanical results are congruent with predictions derived from this hypothesis. Histologically, the outgrowths are constituted by radial fibrolamellar periosteal bone tissue formed at very high growth rates, as expected in a process of rapid strain equilibration response. These outgrowths show greater compactness at the periphery, where tensile and compressive biomechanical constraints are higher. Moreover, these outgrowths increase the maximum bending strength in the direction of the stresses derived from locomotion. They are located on the antero-lateral side of the tibia, as expected in a presumably bipedal one year old individual, and in the posterior position of the tibia, as expected in a presumably quadrupedal individual at least four years of age. These results reinforce myological evidence suggesting that Maiasaura underwent an ontogenetic shift from the primitive ornithischian bipedal condition when young to a derived quadrupedal posture when older.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0131131 |
| spellingShingle | Jorge Cubo Holly Woodward Ewan Wolff John R Horner First Reported Cases of Biomechanically Adaptive Bone Modeling in Non-Avian Dinosaurs. PLoS ONE |
| title | First Reported Cases of Biomechanically Adaptive Bone Modeling in Non-Avian Dinosaurs. |
| title_full | First Reported Cases of Biomechanically Adaptive Bone Modeling in Non-Avian Dinosaurs. |
| title_fullStr | First Reported Cases of Biomechanically Adaptive Bone Modeling in Non-Avian Dinosaurs. |
| title_full_unstemmed | First Reported Cases of Biomechanically Adaptive Bone Modeling in Non-Avian Dinosaurs. |
| title_short | First Reported Cases of Biomechanically Adaptive Bone Modeling in Non-Avian Dinosaurs. |
| title_sort | first reported cases of biomechanically adaptive bone modeling in non avian dinosaurs |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0131131 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jorgecubo firstreportedcasesofbiomechanicallyadaptivebonemodelinginnonaviandinosaurs AT hollywoodward firstreportedcasesofbiomechanicallyadaptivebonemodelinginnonaviandinosaurs AT ewanwolff firstreportedcasesofbiomechanicallyadaptivebonemodelinginnonaviandinosaurs AT johnrhorner firstreportedcasesofbiomechanicallyadaptivebonemodelinginnonaviandinosaurs |