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Tyrannosaurus Rex

Tyrannosaurus Rex

scientific correspondence Tyrannosaurs suffered from

out is a metabolic disorder in which Figure 1 Dorsolatera l views Gurate crystals accumulate as space­ and X-ray of gouty lesions. a, occupying masses, producing monarticular DMNH 30665 metaca rpal I. spheroidal erosions in , often associ­ Erosion (arrow) with overhang• ated with new bone growth at their ing edge. b, DMNH 30665 borders1- 3• We now report the first identifi­ metacarpal II. Spheroidal char• cation of such lesions in . Carica­ acter of erosion is prominent at tures of the agony and ill-temper of those its base (delineated by a black afflicted with gout are magnified by its line ). Slightly overhanging edge recognition in rex. (arrow) noted at lower margin In a cast of the right forearm of the of erosion. A second spher• T. rex from , South oidal erosion is present to , popularly known as ''4 (speci­ the left and slightly above the men DMNH 30665; held at Denver a first lesion. c, TMP 92.36.328 Museum of Natural History), we observed phalanx 1-1. Oblong erosive that metacarpal I had a lesion of 11.5 x process (arrow) consisting of 9 mm with a slight rim (Fig. la). In addi­ two confluent spheroid ero• tion, metacarpal II has a dorsal lesion of sions. Black area at the bottom 7.1 x 5 mm, surrounded by an overhanging of the erosion is an optical illu• rim of bone (Fig. lb), and a second medial sion. Arrow points to a slightly surface erosion, 3 mm deep. This seren­ bui lt-up adjacent bone. d, dipitous observation led us to study other Oblique radiological view of tyrannosaurids for erosive diseases. TMP 92.36.328, illustrated in c. Of 83 tyrannosaurid phalanges at the Two spheroidal erosions with Royal Tyrrell Museum, only one specimen overhanging edges. (TMP 92.36.328) has erosive lesions. The specimen is a partial tyrannosaurid pedal proximal phalanx (1-1) from Bonebed 149 (Upper ), Provincial Park, Alberta, . It has a defect (Fig. le) at the distal articular junction of characterized by the fronts of resorption Tyrannosaurus rex, a factor in subchondral and marginal bone. Slightly seen in rheumatoid arthritis and spondylo­ is diet, by the ingestion of foods with built-up bone forms an overhanging edge, arthropathy2·6; the ill-defined lesions of cal­ a high purine content. One such dietary overlying a smoothly excavated area of cium pyrophosphate deposition disease7; component is red meat, no stranger to this 4 x 9 mm, formed by the coalescence of two osteoarthritis (which does not produce denizen from the Cretaceous. This tyrant adjacent masses, as confirmed by radiologi­ bone erosions) 1-3; the draining sinuses and king seems to have shared with subsequent cal evaluation (Fig. ld). There are no inter­ disorganized underlying osseous structure tyrants the susceptibility to gout. nal fronts or zones of bone resorption of infectious arthritis and osteomyelitis i-3; Bruce M. Rothschild (Fig. 1) and there is no loss of perilesional and from osteosarcoma (which does not Arthritis Center of Northeast Ohio, bone density. Minimal filigree periosteal afflict ) 1- 3• A concurrent superficial Youngstown, reaction is also present. Epi-illumination bone in TMP 92.36.328 probably Ohio 44512, USA microscopy of the intact specimen, using resulted from perforation of overlying skin polarizing optics, failed to reveal birefrin­ by the gouty accumulation. Royal Tyrrell Museum, gent urate crystal preservation. The apparent localization of erosion to Drumhelle1; Gout is recognized clinically by docu­ the metacarpals and phalanges in tyran­ Alberta TOY 0Y0, Canada mentation of urate crystal accumulation or nosaurids may be the result of varia­ Ken Carpenter by the recognition of characteristic radio­ tion. Only 15 per cent of gout Denver Museum ofNatural History, logical findings1- 3•5_ Identification of the afflicts such joints, whereas first metatarsal Denver, alkali-soluble crystals is usually not possible phalangeal joints are more commonly Colorado 80205, USA affected (45 per cent of cases) 1- 3,5_ in archaeological, let alone palaeontologi­ I. Resnick, D. & Niwayama, G. Diagnosis ofBon e and cal, specimens 1-3, and was not possible in Urate deposition in extant reptiles has Disorders 2nd edn (Saunders, Philadelphia, 1989). this case. Thus, macroscopic and radiologi­ been reported in both visceral and articular 2. Rothschild, B. M. & Martin, L. Pafeopathology. Disease in the Record (CRC, London, 1993). cal appearance must form the basis for forms8• The latter has been reported in the 3. Rothschild, B. M. & Heathcote, G. M. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 98, recognition of gout in prehistory. The uni­ monitor ( Varanus), turtles ( Testudo 519-525 ( 1995). formly excavated of the erosions in and Kinixys), crocodilians ( and 4. Lirscn, P. L. /. Vert. Paleontol. 11, 41 A--42A (1 991). these specimens is characteristic of gout. Crocodilus) and in teguexin 5. McCarty, D. J. Arthritis and Allied Conditions: A Textbook of Spheroid lesions with overhanging edges, (Tupinambis). These two occurrences in Rheumatology (Lea and Febigcr, Philadelphia, 1989). 6. Rothschild, B. M. et al. Am. f. Phys. Anthropol. 82, 441--449 common in gout, are only rarely reported in tyrannosaurids indicate that gout may have ( 1990). other diseases, such as multicentric reticu­ had a frequency similar to that observed in 7. Rothschild, B. M., Woods, R. J. & Rothschild, C. Clin. Exp. lohistiocytosis, amyloidosis and IIA 9. Rheumatol. 10, 557- 564 (1992). 8. Appleby, E. C. & Siller, W. G. /. Pathol. Bacterial. 80, 427- 430 hyperlipoproteinaemia '-3• Although dehydration (reported in rep­ (1 960). The Tyrannosaurus erosions are quite tiles)8 and renal failure (reported in 9. Schlumberger, H. G. Lab. Inve.n 8, 1304- 131 8 ( I 959). distinct from the 'bite-like' erosions birds)9•10 could be contributing factors in 10.Silkr, W. G. Lab. Invest. 8, 1319- 1346 (1959).

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