A possible case of respiratory infection in a non-flying dinosaur was discovered by American scientists studying the fossil of a long-necked specimen named Dolly. This discovery is a first for such dinosaurs.
In an article published in Scientific Reports, paleontologists said that three of the creature’s neck bones, named after singer Dolly Parton, had abnormally shaped bony prominences. The team, led by Cary Woodruff, director of Great Plains Dinosaur Museum paleontology, examined the bones using CT imaging and concluded that the protrusions were due to a long-term infection in the creature’s air sacs.
Woodruff said in a statement that “given the possible symptoms this animal has suffered, it’s hard not to feel sorry for Dolly as you hold these infected bones in your hands… We’ve all experienced the same symptoms – cough, difficulty breathing, fever, etc. “And here’s a 150-million-year-old dinosaur who probably felt just as bad when we got sick,” he said.
While scientists note that it is difficult to understand dinosaur diseases with only bones and no soft tissue to examine, the exact cause of the infection remains unclear. But they speculate the most likely cause is a fungal disease similar to aspergillosis, which is the most common respiratory disease in birds and can lead to a bone infection and be fatal if left untreated.
The dinosaur, between 15 and 20 years old, contracted the disease shortly before its death and may have died of infection, but scientists cannot say exactly how long after Dolly became ill. It seems likely that the environment of the area where the dinosaur lived contributed to the transmission and development of the disease.
The fossil, which includes the dinosaur’s skull and spine, was first discovered in 1990 in Montana. It was a long-necked diplodocyte herbivore and was about 18 meters long. The remains are estimated to be 150 million years old.
Previous research had shown that dinosaurs could suffer infections from cancer and injuries.
Woodruff’s team said they hope further research will allow them to improve their understanding of what diseases affected dinosaurs, better understand their physiology, and monitor and understand modern medical conditions.
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