Osteomyelitis in a 265-million-year-old titanosuchid (Dinocephalia, Therapsida)

摘要: AbstractAnalytical palaeohistology techniques have allowed a better understanding of the microstructure fossil bone, as well bone pathologies extinct animals. Osteomyelitis is one oldest identified pathologies, occurring in Synapsida dating back far Lower Permian. Here we show presence this pathology femur Jonkeria parva, an omnivorous titanosuchid from Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone Karoo Basin South Africa. The characterised by bony radial spicules growing perpendicular to normal orientation unaffected fibrolamellar tissue, and shows localised increase vascular canal size. Puncture marks on suggests that attack predator may resulted bacterial infection caused contiguous subjacent osteomyelitis.