Nonhuman Animal Paleopathology—Are We so Different?

Thomas, Richard M.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-809738-0.00023-5

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…The study of bone anomalies in modern and extinct mammals (including marine species) traditionally focuses on biotic aspects – infectious diseases, traumas, physical stress, genetic changes and others (Greer et al ., 1977; Rothschild and Rothschild, 1994; Fabiš, 2004; Rothschild and Martin, 2006; Woodman and Branstrator, 2008; Räikkönen et al ., 2009; Hellier et al ., 2011; Blondiaux et al ., 2012; Brothwell and Schreve, 2012; Rothschild and Diedrich, 2012; Barbosa et al ., 2013; Shpansky et al ., 2015; Germonpré et al ., 2016; Thomas, 2019). Thus, the role of the abiotic (especially geochemical) environment in the aetiology of skeletal system diseases for large mammals (including humans) is still poorly understood.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holes in the spinous processes of woolly mammoth vertebrae: spatial and temporal distribution, and the causes of pathology formation

Leshchinskiy

Kuzmin

Boudin

et al. 2021

J Quaternary Science

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The latest data on holes in the spinous processes of the vertebrae of woolly mammoths, a rare pathology, are presented. This was identified at 19 sites of northern Eurasia. Such destructive changes are recorded ca. 34–12k 14C a bp, and only two sites dated to >50k and >41k 14C a bp. The main hypotheses about hole formation are: vertebral abnormalities; bone infections; genetic traits; and unfavourable geochemical environment. The pathology occurred in mammoths of all age groups, and could have arisen at the embryonic stage. There are two types: classic holes associated with osteolytic changes; and very rarely tumour‐like lesions. The most likely cause of the lesions is alimentary osteodystrophy caused by chronic mineral starvation. The aetiology of this disease is usually associated with a deficiency or excess of macro‐ and microelements in the geochemical landscape, and through forage and water this leads to a severe metabolic disorder. Analysis of palaeopathological data shows two waves of geochemical stress in animals, ca. 26–18k and ca. 16–12k 14C a bp. Therefore, the woolly mammoth extinction can be viewed as a non‐linear function, with two peaks of high mortality corresponding to the Last Glacial Maximum and the Lateglacial.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holes in the spinous processes of woolly mammoth vertebrae: spatial and temporal distribution, and the causes of pathology formation

Leshchinskiy

Kuzmin

Boudin

et al. 2021

J Quaternary Science

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show abstract

“…Combined zooarchaeological and palaeogenomic approaches have been used to study infectious disease within animal remains [ 52 – 54 ]. Early veterinary reports and more recent palaeopathology studies of animal diseases include canine distemper, rabies, cowpox, tuberculosis and plague, to name a few [ 39 , 55 ].…”

Section: Tools and Datasets To Reconstruct Past Disease-scapesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Uncovering the Holocene roots of contemporary disease-scapes: bringing archaeology into One Health

Rayfield,

Mychajliw,

Singleton

et al. 2023

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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The accelerating pace of emerging zoonotic diseases in the twenty-first century has motivated cross-disciplinary collaboration on One Health approaches, combining microbiology, veterinary and environmental sciences, and epidemiology for outbreak prevention and mitigation. Such outbreaks are often caused by spillovers attributed to human activities that encroach on wildlife habitats and ecosystems, such as land use change, industrialized food production, urbanization and animal trade. While the origin of anthropogenic effects on animal ecology and biogeography can be traced to the Late Pleistocene, the archaeological record—a long-term archive of human–animal–environmental interactions—has largely been untapped in these One Health approaches, thus limiting our understanding of these dynamics over time. In this review, we examine how humans, as niche constructors, have facilitated new host species and ‘disease-scapes’ from the Late Pleistocene to the Anthropocene, by viewing zooarchaeological, bioarchaeological and palaeoecological data with a One Health perspective. We also highlight how new biomolecular tools and advances in the ‘-omics’ can be holistically coupled with archaeological and palaeoecological reconstructions in the service of studying zoonotic disease emergence and re-emergence.

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“…Such research has revolutionised our understanding of human behaviour, lifestyle, diet, and society ( O’Connor and O’Connor, 2008 ). Although far less common in zooarchaeology, palaeopathological studies on animal remains have been key for highlighting changes in animal management practices, shifts in human subsistence strategies and changing attitudes toward animals ( Thomas, 2019 ). Furthermore, it has been possible to recover and identify pathogen DNA from animal bones, including Y. pestis from a rat ( Morozova et al, 2020 ) showing the potential to recover disease-causing organisms.…”

Section: Zooarchaeologymentioning

confidence: 99%

One Health Approaches to Trace Mycobacterium leprae’s Zoonotic Potential Through Time

et al. 2021

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Hansen’s disease (leprosy), mainly caused by infection with Mycobacterium leprae, has accompanied humanity for thousands of years. Although currently rare in Europe, there are over 200,000 new infections annually in South East Asia, Africa, and South America. Over the years many disciplines – palaeopathology, ancient DNA and other ancient biomolecules, and history – have contributed to a better understanding of leprosy’s past, in particular its history in medieval Europe. We discuss their contributions and potential, especially in relation to the role of inter-species transmission, an unexplored phenomenon in the disease’s history. Here, we explore the potential of interdisciplinary approaches that understand disease as a biosocial phenomenon, which is a product of both infection with M. leprae and social behaviours that facilitate transmission and spread. Genetic evidence of M. leprae isolated from archaeological remains combined with systematic zooarchaeological and historical analysis would not only identify when and in what direction transmission occurred, but also key social behaviours and motivations that brought species together. In our opinion, this combination is crucial to understand the disease’s zoonotic past and current potential.

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Nonhuman Animal Paleopathology—Are We so Different?

Cited by 10 publications

References 76 publications

Holes in the spinous processes of woolly mammoth vertebrae: spatial and temporal distribution, and the causes of pathology formation

Holes in the spinous processes of woolly mammoth vertebrae: spatial and temporal distribution, and the causes of pathology formation

Uncovering the Holocene roots of contemporary disease-scapes: bringing archaeology into One Health

One Health Approaches to Trace Mycobacterium leprae’s Zoonotic Potential Through Time

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