Dino-Sore Throat — First Evidence Of Dinosaur Respiratory Infection Found In A 150 Million Year Old Fossil Called ‘Dolly’
Topline
A long-necked dinosaur that roamed present-day Montana 150 million years ago likely suffered from a respiratory infection, according to a study published in Scientific Reports on Thursday, the first evidence of a respiratory infection in dinosaurs which experts believe could have caused flu-like symptoms including coughing and fever.
A hypothetical reconstruction of Dolly the dinosaur from the paper.
Credit: Woodruff et al. (2022) and Corbin Rainbolt.
Key Facts
Strange bony growths on neck bones from a dinosaur specimen—nicknamed “Dolly”—first revealed evidence of the infection, according to the peer reviewed research.
CT imaging revealed the growths were made of abnormal bone which likely formed in response to an infection, the researchers said.
The growths were located in an area of each bone that would have been attached to air sacs—linked to Dolly’s lungs and part of the respiratory system—suggesting a respiratory infection.
The researchers said it’s possible Dolly’s infection was similar to a common fungal illness that affects birds and reptiles today, aspergillosis, which would likely have caused flu-like symptoms including coughing, difficulty breathing, weight loss and fever.
As aspergillosis can be fatal in birds if untreated, the researchers said it’s possible it ultimately killed Dolly.
Crucial Quote
“Given the likely symptoms this animal suffered from, holding these infected bones in your hands, you can’t help but feel sorry for Dolly,” said Great Plains Dinosaur Museum paleontologist Cary Woodruff, who led the research. “We’ve all experienced these same symptoms – coughing, trouble breathing, a fever, etc. – and here’s a 150-million-year-old dinosaur that likely felt as miserable as we all do when we’re sick.”
Key Background
The nature of the fossil record makes learning about the lives and behavior of dinosaurs tricky. It—and more often than not, individual fossils—is incomplete, soft tissue is rarely preserved and that which is preserved can be damaged over time. Until recently, scientists hoping to look inside fossils would have destroyed the very specimen they were working with. Bone abnormalities are a key way to detect diseases in the long-dead creatures, and scientists have found evidence of cancer, parasites, gout and an infected bite.
Further Reading
What dinosaur diseases — which might seem familiar — can tell us about how they lived and died (CNN)
Petrified puke shows that ancient winged reptiles purged (Nature)
Have Scientists Found the Biggest Dinosaur? (Discover)
Dinosaur diagnosed with bone cancer that afflicts humans today (CNN)
Earliest Pneumonia Case Older Than Dinosaurs (Discover)
