AI Insight
Researchers in Spain have identified a swollen area on the shinbone of an Iguanodon fossil that appears to be evidence of an advanced skin ulcer that penetrated to the bone tissue. The pathological bone growth suggests the dinosaur suffered from a bacterial infection that progressed from the skin surface to the underlying skeletal structure. This represents what may be the first documented case of this specific type of infection-related bone response in dinosaurs.
Why it matters
This finding demonstrates that fossilized bones can preserve evidence of soft tissue infections and disease processes, expanding our understanding of dinosaur health and the types of ailments these animals experienced. The discovery also advances paleomedicine by showing that bacterial infections similar to those affecting modern animals were present in prehistoric species.
Understand the Science
Fossilized bones can reveal a wealth of details about animals, including their size, appearance, what they ate and any injuries they may have suffered. In a paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, researchers in Spain describe a swollen patch on the shinbone of an Iguanodon, which they say may be evidence of an advanced skin ulcer that had reached the underlying bone. If so, this could be the first time this type of response to a bacterial infection has been reported in a dinosaur.
Source: Iguanodon shinbone growth may be first evidence of an infected skin ulcer in a dinosaur