palaeopathology

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Pathological grey wolf femur from La Brea. It survived the attack, which is thought to be most likely from the bite of a larger carnivore. It either had an entirely missing (amputated) or useless right lower leg.

www.academia.edu/15741331/A_Pathological_Timber_Wolf_Canis_lupus_Femur_from_Rancho_La_Brea_Indicates_Extended_Survival_After_Traumatic_Amputation_Injury

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Paleopathologies in a nearly complete skeleton of Majungasaurus.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667120302391f38bf16dc019&sid=fd849cd422b297401a09eeb422e9b9370281gxrqa&type=client

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Osteopathology in Rhinocerotidae from 50 Million Years to the Present

Individual elements of many extinct and extant North American rhinocerotids display osteopathologies, particularly exostoses, abnormal textures, and joint margin porosity, that are commonly associated with localized bone trauma. When we evaluated six extinct rhinocerotid species spanning 50 million years (Ma), we found the incidence of osteopathology increases from 28% of all elements of Eocene Hyrachyus eximius to 65–80% of all elements in more derived species. The only extant species in this study, Diceros bicornis, displayed less osteopathologies (50%) than the more derived extinct taxa. To get a finer-grained picture, we scored each fossil for seven pathological indicators on a scale of 1–4. We estimated the average mass of each taxon using M1-3 length and compared mass to average pathological score for each category. We found that with increasing mass, osteopathology also significantly increases. We then ran a phylogenetically-controlled regression analysis using a time-calibrated phylogeny of our study taxa. Mass estimates were found to significantly covary with abnormal foramen shape and abnormal bone textures. This pattern in osteopathological expression may reflect a part of the complex system of adaptations in the Rhinocerotidae over millions of years, where increased mass, cursoriality, and/or increased life span are selected for, to the detriment of long-term bone health. This work has important implications for the future health of hoofed animals and humans alike.

journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0146221#sec002

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Pain in dinosaurs: what is the evidence?

How far back can we trace behaviour associated with pain? Behaviour is not preserved in the palaeontological record, so, for dinosaurs, we are restricted to what we can deduce from fossilized bones and tracks. This review is a thought experiment using circumstantial evidence from dinosaur fossils and from the behaviour of their extant relatives to describe probable responses of dinosaurs to serious injuries. Searches yielded 196 papers and chapters with: reports of healed serious injuries, and limping gait and injured feet in trackways; information about physiology and behaviour relevant to healing; evidence of evolutionary connections with birds and crocodilians, and their behaviour; and information about relevant aspects of evolution. Clearly, many dinosaurs survived injuries that would have seriously hampered mobility, impairing hunting or escape from predators, and affecting social interactions. Recovery from severe injuries implies pain-mediated responses. Rates of healing seem faster than for other reptiles, possibily aided by warm-bloodedness. Nesting was often communal, raising the possibility of parental and group protection for injured young. The existence of family groups, packs or herds raises the possibility of protection or feeding from pack kills. This is the first study, to our knowledge, of possible pain behaviour and responses to injury in dinosaurs.

We identified 209 relevant injuries in dinosaurs, 106 (51%) in carnivores (Theropoda) and 103 (49%) in herbivores (Ornithischia and Sauropodomorpha) (table 1). These were reported in a wide range of species (e.g. [15–20]). Only nine injuries were described in terrestrial non-dinosaurs between emergence on land and the extinction of the dinosaurs.

About 25% of injuries were to the upper limbs and shoulder girdle, 38% to the lower limbs and pelvic girdle, and the rest to the head, body and tail. Injuries may have been caused by predation attempts, fights and falls, whether accidental or linked to conflict. Stress fractures can be caused by repeated sudden forceful movements, such as leaping to escape attack or grappling with powerful prey [28,29].

Forelimb, shoulder and torso injuries were probably caused by falls and fights: these might have interfered with locomotion (for quadrupeds), feeding, predation or resistance to predation. Hindlimb injuries perhaps arose from falls and predation: these would have hindered locomotion, and predation by carnivores using hindlimb claws for attack. Some foot and other injuries were stress fractures perhaps caused by dominance behaviours or by sudden movements in flight from predators [28]. Injuries to head, neck, back and tail may have been painful but not necessarily debilitating: these might have hindered feeding and locomotion, particularly at higher speeds. Injuries in subadult theropods, such as head- or face-biting wounds, may have been the result of fights with conspecifics [23]. Carnivores' injuries were probably caused by falls when pursuing prey, struggles with prey or fights with conspecifics. The possibility of injuries during play among young dinosaurs must not be ruled out: Rothschild [30] infers T. rex play from tooth-marked bones, roughly ball-shaped, which would not have made up part of a meal. This is consistent with evidence of play in reptiles, including crocodilians [31], and birds [32]. Injuries to prey, often to head, neck, back and tail, are more likely to have been fatal, either immediately or later from infections. Falls and struggles are more likely to have caused debilitating injuries to legs, shoulders, hips and ribs, interfering with predation, escape from predators, feeding, breathing and keeping up with social groups.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6790383/#!po=11.5385

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A potentially fatal cranial pathology in a specimen of Tarchia

Abstract

Skulls of the Mongolian ankylosaurids Shamosaurus, Tarchia, and Saichania were scanned for information about their internal anatomy. Computed tomography (CT) imaging of the Tarchia skull revealed substantial internal anatomical differences from known Campanian North American taxa, particularly in the morphology of the airway. In addition, unexpected anomalies were detected within the airway and sinuses. The anomalies include multiple bilaterally distributed, variably sized hyperdense (mineralized) concretions within the airway and sinuses, the largest of which, positioned in the right nasal cavity medial to the supraorbitals, has an asymmetric ovoid shape that tapers caudally and which is partially encased within a hemispherical trabeculated osseous proliferation (sinus exostosis). Immediately adjacent to the exostosis is a subcircular transosseous defect in the prefrontal region of the skull roof that is partially filled with trabeculated ossified material with similar architectural features as the larger exostosis. Irregularities along the internal and external surfaces of the cranial vault may be associated. The radiologic features of the hemicircumferential exostosis suggest a chronic reactive osteoproliferation, possibly in response to an ongoing inflammatory reaction to primary sinus infection or, in combination with the unilateral transosseous defect, traumatically introduced infection with potentially fatal consequences. This report underscores the value of CT scanning of fossil vertebrate specimens, which in this case revealed large internal lesions of the skull that, at the time the scan was performed, were otherwise indiscernible.

Graphical abstract

A skull of the armored dinosaur Tarchia was CT-scanned, revealing a large, anomalous mass in the right airway and more than a dozen smaller nodules in the left airway. The etiology is speculative but could have involved infection and/or trauma.

anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.25205

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I found the original source for tooth marks on the dentary of a Saurornitholestes specimen. The tooth marks are on the lingual surface, and the shape of the tooth and serration marks are most consistent with a small predator, most likely a juvenile tyrannosaurid. I should note that the authors don't make it clear whether or not the Saurornitholestes was alive or not when these bites were made.






archive.org/details/mesozoicvertebra0000unse/mode/2up

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There's a healed rib fracture in one Columbian mammoth rib resulting from blunt trauma. I emailed one of the authors for the full paper to find out what they think likely caused this injury. My hunch is intraspecific combat, but I don't want to jump the gun.

A deformed rib from a Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) was found among more than 100 mammoth bones excavated from an alfalfa field at the Tonnemaker Hill Farm in the Frenchman Hills north of Royal City, Grant County, Washington. The mammoth remains were deposited within fine-grained Missoula flood sediments sometime after 16 ka. We performed a detailed examination of the rib, including computerized tomography imaging, and investigated the possible etiology of the deformity. The deformity consists of hypertrophic bone formation localized toward the distal (sternal) end of the rib. The circumference of the lesion is nearly twice that of the medial circumference of the rib diaphysis. This lesion is consistent with an incompletely healed fracture or a fracture nonunion with pseudarthrosis (false joint) formation. Gross examination and computerized tomography scan images of the proximal aspect of the rib, as well as cursory inspection of the other skeletal remains, have yet to reveal definitive evidence of other bony abnormalities. We surmise, therefore, that this fracture was the consequence of blunt force trauma in a healthy animal. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a rib fracture with incomplete healing or false joint formation in a M. columbi individual in the Pacific Northwest. We suspect the incidence of rib fractures among M. columbi was greater than the Pacific Northwest literature suggests and encourage examination of existing collections for evidence of similar findings. The incidence and frequency of such injuries may provide insight into M. columbi behavior.

bioone.org/journals/northwest-science/volume-95/issue-3-4/046.095.0310/Case-Report-of-Traumatic-Rib-Fracture-in-Mammoth-from-Frenchman/10.3955/046.095.0310.short

[Supercommunist]

A Sinraptor suffered 28 puncture marks on the skull, most likely from another sinraptor.

www.researchgate.net/publication/40662860_Head-biting_behavior_in_theropod_dinosaurs_Paleopathological_evidence

he 28 toothstrike lesions are confinedto the right side of the cranium, distributed on themaxilla, jugal, dentary, prearticular, and possibly thesurangular

(1) (PDF) Head-biting behavior in theropod dinosaurs: Paleopathological evidence. Available from: www.researchgate.net/publication/40662860_Head-biting_behavior_in_theropod_dinosaurs_Paleopathological_evidence [accessed Nov 01 2024].

The specimen bore signs of healing which suggests it was able to feed itself despite taking injuries to the bottom jaw. It's hard to say exactly how intense the fight between the sinraptors was, but this find does lead me to believe that disabling another theropods jaw with one bite was easier said than done. I think theropods with higher bite forces like abelisauridsor tyrannosaurids would have had a better chance of doing this, but even they seemed to fail given we have specimens like Stan who survived some pretty serious head bites.