How Common Are Lesions on the Tails of Sauropods? Two New Pathologies in Titanosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Argentine Patagonia
Studies of the paleopathology of the vertebrae provide an interesting, oblique approach to their paleobiology and even paleoethology. They tell us about possible ethological causes such as accidental blows with objects, social interactions within a group, and defense against predators, etc. There ar...
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/3/464 |
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| author | Penélope Cruzado-Caballero Leonardo Sebastián Filippi Javier González-Dionis José Ignacio Canudo |
| author_facet | Penélope Cruzado-Caballero Leonardo Sebastián Filippi Javier González-Dionis José Ignacio Canudo |
| author_sort | Penélope Cruzado-Caballero |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Studies of the paleopathology of the vertebrae provide an interesting, oblique approach to their paleobiology and even paleoethology. They tell us about possible ethological causes such as accidental blows with objects, social interactions within a group, and defense against predators, etc. There are numerous works on the anatomical and phylogenetic aspects of sauropod dinosaurs, and in recent years paleopathological studies have also increased. Here, we describe the injuries recorded in the caudal vertebrae of two indeterminate titanosaurids, and undertake a compilation and analysis of the pathological fossil record worldwide, focusing on the tails of sauropods. Two pathologies have been identified as present in the indeterminate titanosaurids under study: a possible case of spondyloarthropathy in MAU-Pv-LI-601, and a case of suppurative spinal osteomyelitis in MAU-Pv-LJ-472/1. Both titanosaurids are from Gondwana. In the world registry of pathologies associated with the tails of sauropod dinosaurs, it is observed that titanosaurs are the sauropods with the highest percentage of diagnosed pathologies (69% including the two new records from the province of Neuquén) and that all of these have been described in Gondwanan specimens. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:40:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a71d81ee510645d989a03b99b4cb39d9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:40:05Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-a71d81ee510645d989a03b99b4cb39d92023-11-17T10:38:59ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182023-03-0115346410.3390/d15030464How Common Are Lesions on the Tails of Sauropods? Two New Pathologies in Titanosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Argentine PatagoniaPenélope Cruzado-Caballero0Leonardo Sebastián Filippi1Javier González-Dionis2José Ignacio Canudo3Grupo Aragosaurus-IUCA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Zaragoza, C/Pedro Cerbuna, 12, 50009 Zaragoza, SpainMuseo Municipal “Argentino Urquiza”, Chos Malal 1277, ArgentinaConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, ArgentinaGrupo Aragosaurus-IUCA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Zaragoza, C/Pedro Cerbuna, 12, 50009 Zaragoza, SpainStudies of the paleopathology of the vertebrae provide an interesting, oblique approach to their paleobiology and even paleoethology. They tell us about possible ethological causes such as accidental blows with objects, social interactions within a group, and defense against predators, etc. There are numerous works on the anatomical and phylogenetic aspects of sauropod dinosaurs, and in recent years paleopathological studies have also increased. Here, we describe the injuries recorded in the caudal vertebrae of two indeterminate titanosaurids, and undertake a compilation and analysis of the pathological fossil record worldwide, focusing on the tails of sauropods. Two pathologies have been identified as present in the indeterminate titanosaurids under study: a possible case of spondyloarthropathy in MAU-Pv-LI-601, and a case of suppurative spinal osteomyelitis in MAU-Pv-LJ-472/1. Both titanosaurids are from Gondwana. In the world registry of pathologies associated with the tails of sauropod dinosaurs, it is observed that titanosaurs are the sauropods with the highest percentage of diagnosed pathologies (69% including the two new records from the province of Neuquén) and that all of these have been described in Gondwanan specimens.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/3/464spinal osteomyelitisspondyloarthropathytailGondwanaUpper Cretaceous |
| spellingShingle | Penélope Cruzado-Caballero Leonardo Sebastián Filippi Javier González-Dionis José Ignacio Canudo How Common Are Lesions on the Tails of Sauropods? Two New Pathologies in Titanosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Argentine Patagonia Diversity spinal osteomyelitis spondyloarthropathy tail Gondwana Upper Cretaceous |
| title | How Common Are Lesions on the Tails of Sauropods? Two New Pathologies in Titanosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Argentine Patagonia |
| title_full | How Common Are Lesions on the Tails of Sauropods? Two New Pathologies in Titanosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Argentine Patagonia |
| title_fullStr | How Common Are Lesions on the Tails of Sauropods? Two New Pathologies in Titanosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Argentine Patagonia |
| title_full_unstemmed | How Common Are Lesions on the Tails of Sauropods? Two New Pathologies in Titanosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Argentine Patagonia |
| title_short | How Common Are Lesions on the Tails of Sauropods? Two New Pathologies in Titanosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Argentine Patagonia |
| title_sort | how common are lesions on the tails of sauropods two new pathologies in titanosaurs from the late cretaceous of argentine patagonia |
| topic | spinal osteomyelitis spondyloarthropathy tail Gondwana Upper Cretaceous |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/3/464 |
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