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Rex Fan 684
MemberCompsognathusJun-28-2013 7:33 PMOne thing that few think about is dinosaurs and diseases. Disease in dinosaurs is actually quite rare. These animals seem to have been pretty healthy. But diseases did occur. Once example is a Lambeosaurus that had a dental abscess. Two Iguanodon skeletons show osteoarthritis. This is also known as degenerative joint disease. Even the king, Tyrannosaurus, got sick on occasion. Some specimens show signs of gout, an extremely painful disease. This happens when you eat too much red meat. That would have been hard for T-rex to avoid. Some Rex skeletons show signs of an infection in the lower jaw. The holes left behind tell the tale. Dinosaurs likely had to deal with certain cancers as well, although there is no hard evidence to support this.
[img]http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/wiredscience/2009/09/rex-sores.jpg[/img]
Image illustrating infection in Tyrannosaurus' lower jaw. Once thought to be bite marks from another Rex.
Any dino-diseases you guys have heard about that I did not list? Post em if you do, comment if you don't.
"Men like me don't start the wars. We just die in them. We've always died in them, and we always will. We don't expect any praise for it, no parades. No one knows our names."
―Alpha-98
6 Replies
Deltadromeus
MemberCompsognathusJun-28-2013 7:48 PMWe have no proof that these dinosaurs didn't just catch a cold as well as truly bad sickness.
Hi
Rex Fan 684
MemberCompsognathusJun-28-2013 7:52 PMThey may have, but I was referring to the more serious diseases and infections. Like their decedents, birds, and their close relatives, the crocodilians, they likely had a strong immune system. Crocs and birds rarely get sick. Especially crocs. Same was probably true with dinosaurs. Only the most serious diseases probably affected them. Now, that does not mean they could not get a simple illness from time to time.
"Men like me don't start the wars. We just die in them. We've always died in them, and we always will. We don't expect any praise for it, no parades. No one knows our names."
―Alpha-98
Spinosaurus360
MemberCompsognathusJun-28-2013 7:57 PMWhat about amphibians? They evolved into dinosaurs.
Rex Fan 684
MemberCompsognathusJun-28-2013 8:02 PMWhat about em? Amphibians lead to reptiles which lead to dinosaurs. They were not direct ancestors though. Not really. I just thought of something though. Spinosaurus and it's cousins probably got a disease once and a while from the fish they ate. Unless they had a special adaptation or developed immunity, it's likely they got sick from time to time due to the mercury in the fish they ate.
"Men like me don't start the wars. We just die in them. We've always died in them, and we always will. We don't expect any praise for it, no parades. No one knows our names."
―Alpha-98
No longer active
MemberCompsognathusJun-28-2013 8:40 PMSue has a femur infection that caused her bone to swell.
x_paden_x
MemberCompsognathusJun-29-2013 2:04 AMDinosaurs much like most modern day animals, could catch diseases and sickness, it's preposterous to think they wouldn't, ill have you know ladies and gentlemen... We did at one point evolved on the same guidelines and timelines, mammals lived along side dinosaurs, (rodent sized) they caught diseases also...
In the jurassic park novel, Harding mentions that they had to immunize the dinosaurs so they wouldn't catch modern or prehistoric diseases...they would also do this in the jurassic park movie, FOR example the trike, it wasn't entirely a disease but it was a sickness, they're immune system couldn't handle the berries toxins... This would most likely happen in prehistoric times as well
Life cannot be contained, it breaks walls, crashes through barriers sometimes painfully, but uh... Life uh, finds a way
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