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Description of Pathological Conditions in the Skeleton of an Adult Male Brown Bear Ursus Arctos from the Cantabrian Range Of

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Description of Pathological Conditions in the Skeleton of an Adult Male Brown Bear Ursus Arctos from the Cantabrian Range Of Cadernos Lab. Xeolóxico de Laxe ISSN: 0213-4497 Coruña. 2001. Vol. 26, pp. 564-477 Description of pathological conditions in the skeleton of an adult male brown bear Ursus arctos from the Cantabrian range of mountains (Reserva Nacional de Caza de Riaño, León) Patologías óseas en un esqueleto de Oso pardo macho adulto de la Cordillera Cantábrica (Reserva Nacional de Caza de Riaño, León) PINTO, A. C.1 & ETXEBARRÍA, F.2 AB S T R A C T In this paper we describe with detail the pathological conditions found on the skeleton of an adult male brown bear from the Cantabrian Mountains. This specimen shows a great number of pathologies, some of infectious origin and others of traumatic origin, as well as pathologies such as caries. We discuss the possible aetiology of the lesions, deve- lopment and consequences, as well as how they did affect the living animal and its sur- vival opportunities. (1) Palaeontology Department, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd. London SW7 5BD, UNITED KINGDOM (2) Antropología, Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, Alto de Zorroaga s/nº Donostia. SPAIN 466 PINTO & ETXEBARRÍA CAD. LAB. XEOL. LAXE 26 (2001) INTRODUCTION (León). It has a very great number of rele- vant pathological conditions, some of Bears are generally big-sized animals traumatic origin, some of infectious ori- and have few natural enemies. A wound gin, throughout the skeleton, chiefly bear therefore has good chances of recove- affecting the functioning of the vertebral ring from trauma or disease without being spine, pelvis and limb elements as descri- meanwhile attacked. The lack of natural bed. enemies also implies that many of these animals can reach advanced ages, favou- ring the quantitative as well as qualitative DESCRIPTION OF THE PATHOLO- increase in pathological conditions. GIES The literature dealing with skeletal This is the complete skeleton of a pre- diseases in the extinct cave bears is very sent day brown bear, an adult male with a rich. This is due to the very many fossils of cementum age of 20±2 years (J. Seijas, this species recovered in caves throughout pers. comm), and therefore a very old bear Europe, many of them displaying specta- by modern Cantabrian Mountains stan- cular pathological conditions. On the dards. The skeletal remains of this speci- other hand, the literature dealing with men show grave lesions, that have affected skeletal conditions on present day brown to its locomotion and general quality of bears is much more scarce, as these ani- life. Below we describe all the alterations mals do not use limestone caves as inten- observed in each one of the skeletal ele- sively as cave bears did, and therefore their ments. Almost all of them suffer from remains are, more frequently than not, anomalous conditions, in greater or sma- lost. ller degree. When thinking on the ecological implications of cave bear skeletal condi- tions, we can only use as comparation our present knowledge of its extant counter- Mandible part, the brown bear or other temperate • Lost post-mortem: Right M2, left M3, modern bears, in order to make inferences. right P1 and right and left I1. It is therefore important to create a log of • Lost intra-vitam: Left I2. Advanced information on present day bear patholo- alveolar resorption. gies. • Alveolar resorption affecting the In this paper we describe in detail the external bone wall of right M3 and left pathological conditions found in the ske- M2 leton of a present-day brown bear Ursus • The enamel of the crown of the cheek arctos from the Cantabrian range of moun- teeth is completely worn, and secondary tains in N. Spain. This specimen is kept in dentine protects the pulp cavity the Centro de Recuperación de Animales • Caries: Affecting distally the right Silvestres (Valladolid), and was found dead M2 and M3, and also to the left M2 at the Reserva Nacional de Caza de Riaño • Intra-vitam breakage of the canine CAD. LAB. XEOL. LAXE 26 (2001) Description of pathological conditions 467 teeth, probably in events related with sexual competition. The stumps appear very rounded. The pulp cavity is exposed. Dorsal vertebrae • The temporo-mandibular joint shows eburneation. These vertebrae (14) are affected in varying degrees by eburneation of the arti- Maxilar cular surfaces, rings of osteophytes along the edges and exostoses. These exostoses • Post-mortem loss of right P3, left P1 acquire great size from the 6th vertebra and left I1. downwards, affecting the anterior surface. • Intra-vitam loss: Right I1. The alve- Vertebrae 7t h, 8t h and 9t h are fused olus has been resorbed and there is a fistu- through great exostoses and calcifications lae discharging towards the nasal bone in its anterior area. The body of vertebra 9 between I1 and I2. is greatly disfigured. The anterior exosto- • Resorption of the external wall of the ses and articular osteophytes appear alveoli affecting right M2. through till the last vertebra, very modi- • Right M2: loss of oclusal enamel and fied also with de-calcification and anoma- caries lous disorganised new bone production. It • Agenesia right P1 appears also fused to the first lumbar ver- • Fistulae at the root of right M1, dis- tebra. charges towards bucal • Right canine has an intra-vitam brea- Lumbar vertebrae kage of the cusp and resorption of the external wall of the alveolus as well as The first lumbar vertebra appears some signs of periodontal pathology. almost entirely fused with the last dorsal • There are also some lesions with vertebra. Exostoses and disorganised bone bone resorption in the palate. formation affect the 1st and the 2nd lumbar • The enamel in all molars has been vertebrae. The three last ones have also entirely worn down exposing the pulp exostoses, although of smaller size. cavity, which appears protected by secon- dary dentine. Tail vertebrae The three first ones show abundant Cervical vertebrae great sized exostoses (21x12x4 mm.). Las three last ones do not show lesions. Around the articular surface of the atlas there is a complete circle of oste- Scapula ophytes. The axis is in a comparatively good condition. The next five cervical ver- The right scapula shows an osteochon- tebrae also show osteophytes and exostoses droma, eburneation that exposes the along the antero-distal edge. spongy bone tissue and osteophytes in the 468 PINTO & ETXEBARRÍA CAD. LAB. XEOL. LAXE 26 (2001) articular surfaces. It also has an intra-vitam The edges of the distal articulation in rip on the blade, that appears healed the left radius show an incipient circle of without infectious processes and without osteophytes. The left ulna shows oste- production of new bone. ophytes surrounding the distal articula- tion. Humerus Carpal and metacarpal bones The right humerus has an eburneation in the inner proximal articular surface. It The carpal bones of the right hand shows also a great circular exostose (11 show an intense wear and eburneation of mm. diameter) in the middle of the arti- the articular surfaces, leading to the gene- cular surface and circle of osteophytes ral loss of bone mass and to the formation along its inner edge. Distally the humerus of rows of osteophytes. The metacarpal shows great wear of the joint and pseudo- bones have similar pathologies. The 1st articular surfaces produced by the intense has distally a healed fracture, a fistulae and pathologies affecting radius and ulna, osteophytes. The second one seems to have explained below. also a healed fracture, as well as anomalous The left humerus shows in the proxi- bone production on the diaphysis and mal articulation eburneation and oste- exostoses, that extend to the remaining ophytes. Probably to compensate the great metacarpal bones. The 4th metacarpal has lesions in the right side, the muscular exostoses in proximal. insertion appears very developed. The dis- The carpal bones of the left arm are tal articulation has a circle of osteophytes, bigger and have great osteophytes, that not so developed. The diaphysis of the left affect also the metacarpal bones. The 1st humerus is notoriously wider and stronger left metacarpal shows crushing, exostoses, than that of the right arm. As we will see, osteophytes around articular surfaces and the left arm is the only healthy limb this pseudo-arthrosis in mid diaphysis. The animal had. remaining metacarpal bones are affected by osteophytes in varying degrees at the Radius and ulnae joints and exostoses at the diaphysis.. The right radius and ulnae appear Falanges crushed or with multiple fractures affec- ting both bones. These are old fractures The articular surfaces in the right hand with formation of new bone tissue, that falanges are circled by osteophytes, have fuses both bones. They appear very distor- exostoses in the diaphysis, eburneations ted and their functionality must have been and arthritic deformations. The 3rd falan- very limited. This lesion affects the tota- ge of the 2nd finger is distally anomalous. lity of both bones and plays also a role in The 3rd finger has two falanges fused in an the deformations suffered by the proximal anomalous position. The 5th finger has an and distal joints and by adjacent bones. amputation in the first falange, with new CAD. LAB. XEOL. LAXE 26 (2001) Description of pathological conditions 469 bone growth over the stump. The fingers also exostoses in the diaphysis, in the mus- of the left hand have similar alterations. cle insertion area and in the articulation with the fibula. The right fibula shows Innominate also amputation of the distal third and anomalous bone production covering its Luxation of the left innominate, that whole surface. has then formed a secondary sub-articula- The left tibia has osteophytes around tion with great proliferation of newly for- the proximal articulation, exostoses and med bone that grows disorganised sugges- alterations in the articulation with the ting an infectious.
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