Common avian infection plagued the tyrant dinosaurs.

<h4>Background</h4>Tyrannosaurus rex and other tyrannosaurid fossils often display multiple, smooth-edged full-thickness erosive lesions on the mandible, either unilaterally or bilaterally. The cause of these lesions in the Tyrannosaurus rex specimen FMNH PR2081 (known informally by the...

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Autores principales:	Ewan D S Wolff, Steven W Salisbury, John R Horner, David J Varricchio
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2009
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/94cb69470bed488fb35909e1076f425f
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:94cb69470bed488fb35909e1076f425f2021-11-25T06:20:00ZCommon avian infection plagued the tyrant dinosaurs.1932-620310.1371/journal.pone.0007288https://doaj.org/article/94cb69470bed488fb35909e1076f425f2009-09-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/19789646/pdf/?tool=EBIhttps://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203<h4>Background</h4>Tyrannosaurus rex and other tyrannosaurid fossils often display multiple, smooth-edged full-thickness erosive lesions on the mandible, either unilaterally or bilaterally. The cause of these lesions in the Tyrannosaurus rex specimen FMNH PR2081 (known informally by the name 'Sue') has previously been attributed to actinomycosis, a bacterial bone infection, or bite wounds from other tyrannosaurids.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>We conducted an extensive survey of tyrannosaurid specimens and identified ten individuals with full-thickness erosive lesions. These lesions were described, measured and photographed for comparison with one another. We also conducted an extensive survey of related archosaurs for similar lesions. We show here that these lesions are consistent with those caused by an avian parasitic infection called trichomonosis, which causes similar abnormalities on the mandible of modern birds, in particular raptors.<h4>Conclusions/significance</h4>This finding represents the first evidence for the ancient evolutionary origin of an avian transmissible disease in non-avian theropod dinosaurs. It also provides a valuable insight into the palaeobiology of these now extinct animals. Based on the frequency with which these lesions occur, we hypothesize that tyrannosaurids were commonly infected by a Trichomonas gallinae-like protozoan. For tyrannosaurid populations, the only non-avian dinosaur group that show trichomonosis-type lesions, it is likely that the disease became endemic and spread as a result of antagonistic intraspecific behavior, consumption of prey infected by a Trichomonas gallinae-like protozoan and possibly even cannibalism. The severity of trichomonosis-related lesions in specimens such as Tyrannosaurus rex FMNH PR2081 and Tyrannosaurus rex MOR 980, strongly suggests that these animals died as a direct result of this disease, mostly likely through starvation.Ewan D S WolffSteven W SalisburyJohn R HornerDavid J VarricchioPublic Library of Science (PLoS)articleMedicineRScienceQENPLoS ONE, Vol 4, Iss 9, p e7288 (2009)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Ewan D S Wolff Steven W Salisbury John R Horner David J Varricchio Common avian infection plagued the tyrant dinosaurs.
description	<h4>Background</h4>Tyrannosaurus rex and other tyrannosaurid fossils often display multiple, smooth-edged full-thickness erosive lesions on the mandible, either unilaterally or bilaterally. The cause of these lesions in the Tyrannosaurus rex specimen FMNH PR2081 (known informally by the name 'Sue') has previously been attributed to actinomycosis, a bacterial bone infection, or bite wounds from other tyrannosaurids.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>We conducted an extensive survey of tyrannosaurid specimens and identified ten individuals with full-thickness erosive lesions. These lesions were described, measured and photographed for comparison with one another. We also conducted an extensive survey of related archosaurs for similar lesions. We show here that these lesions are consistent with those caused by an avian parasitic infection called trichomonosis, which causes similar abnormalities on the mandible of modern birds, in particular raptors.<h4>Conclusions/significance</h4>This finding represents the first evidence for the ancient evolutionary origin of an avian transmissible disease in non-avian theropod dinosaurs. It also provides a valuable insight into the palaeobiology of these now extinct animals. Based on the frequency with which these lesions occur, we hypothesize that tyrannosaurids were commonly infected by a Trichomonas gallinae-like protozoan. For tyrannosaurid populations, the only non-avian dinosaur group that show trichomonosis-type lesions, it is likely that the disease became endemic and spread as a result of antagonistic intraspecific behavior, consumption of prey infected by a Trichomonas gallinae-like protozoan and possibly even cannibalism. The severity of trichomonosis-related lesions in specimens such as Tyrannosaurus rex FMNH PR2081 and Tyrannosaurus rex MOR 980, strongly suggests that these animals died as a direct result of this disease, mostly likely through starvation.
format	article
author	Ewan D S Wolff Steven W Salisbury John R Horner David J Varricchio
author_facet	Ewan D S Wolff Steven W Salisbury John R Horner David J Varricchio
author_sort	Ewan D S Wolff
title	Common avian infection plagued the tyrant dinosaurs.
title_short	Common avian infection plagued the tyrant dinosaurs.
title_full	Common avian infection plagued the tyrant dinosaurs.
title_fullStr	Common avian infection plagued the tyrant dinosaurs.
title_full_unstemmed	Common avian infection plagued the tyrant dinosaurs.
title_sort	common avian infection plagued the tyrant dinosaurs.
publisher	Public Library of Science (PLoS)
publishDate	2009
url	https://doaj.org/article/94cb69470bed488fb35909e1076f425f
work_keys_str_mv	AT ewandswolff commonavianinfectionplaguedthetyrantdinosaurs AT stevenwsalisbury commonavianinfectionplaguedthetyrantdinosaurs AT johnrhorner commonavianinfectionplaguedthetyrantdinosaurs AT davidjvarricchio commonavianinfectionplaguedthetyrantdinosaurs
_version_	1718413814511173632

Common avian infection plagued the tyrant dinosaurs.

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