Osseous and Other Hard Tissue Pathologies in Turtles and Abnormalities of Mineral Deposition

Abstract

Actualistic interpretation (on the basis of disorders documented in life) of pathology in modern turtles, and across the phylogenetic spectrum, allows confident diagnosis of disease in fossil turtles. Fortunately, those diseases that affect bone do so in a manner that appears independent of phylogeny and even of geologic chronology. To date, most pathologies have been reported as isolated observations. Therefore the latter have been characterized and placed within the framework of recognized diseases and activities. Toward this end, we surveyed the literature, assessing reports in terms of contemporary definitions. Epidemiologic studies of pathology in turtles are rare, with the exception of frequency of anomalies and of avascular necrosis and recognition of diving behavior. Notation of avascular necrosis in 50% of Cretaceous turtles, limitation to marine turtles, and its gradual reduction over geologic time present a unique window into turtle behavior and their development of strategies that minimize its occurrence.

The first evidence of osteomyelitis in a sauropod dinosaur

“…The affected areas possess a fine filigree or 'aero candy'-like (i.e. 'microbubbly') surface texture (Rothschild et al 2013), which is accentuated towards the most distal element of the tail. This anomaly is more prominent at the margins and towards the neural arch, with marked irregularity at the tip of the prezygapophysis (Fig.…”

Preliminary Overview of Late Cretaceous Turtle Diversity in Eastern Central Europe (Austria, Hungary, and Romania)

“…Also, as in Dortoka, sharp, closely spaced, and more or less parallel crests complete the ornament on the neurals and costals, spanning the proximal third (anteriorly) or half (posteriorly) of those plates. Minute pits, possibly related to fungal infections (see Rothschild et al 2012) are sometimes present on plastral elements and costals.…”

An updated description of the osteology of the pancake tortoiseMalacochersus tornieri(Testudines: Testudinidae) with special focus on intraspecific variation

“…Concerning such shell bone variation, abnormalities in two individuals of Glyptemys insculpta (Le Conte, ) (Parker, ), high variation in the neural formula of Testudo hermanni (Gmelin, ) on Golem Grad Island (Đorđević, ), geographic variation in the scutation and neural and costal bones of Chelus fimbriatus (Schneider, ) (Sánchez‐Villagra et al, ), variation in the neural number and pleural shape of Testudo kleinmanni (Lortet, ) (Delfino et al, ), variation in the neural formula of chelid turtles from Australia and New Guinea (Rhodin and Mittermeier, ; Thomson and Georges, ), a Pelusios sinuatus (Smith, ) specimen lacking mesoplastra (Broadley, ), abnormal absence of mesoplastra in Podocnemis erythrocephala (Spix, ) (Pritchard, ), as well as variation in the number of neurals of Dipsochelys , now Aldabrachelys (Loveridge and Williams, ), have been described (Gerlach, ), just to name a few examples. More aberrant morphological shell conditions and anomalies have been compiled by Rothschild et al (, table 27.5). There is still a lack of knowledge on this topic for most species, however, which makes a detailed description of variation in M. tornieri more valuable.…”