Iguanodon with polymicrobial ulcer in tibia (free pdf)
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Ben Creisler
Aug 26, 2026, 2:41:06 PM (9 days ago) Aug 26
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Ben Creisler
A new paper:
Free pdf:
Javier Salas-Herrera, José M. Gasulla, Santiago F. Marco Domenech, Ricardo Tosca-Segura, Francisco Ortega & Fernando Escaso (2026)
First occurrence of polymicrobial ulcer in dinosaurs
Royal Society Open Science 13(8): rsos261293 .
doi: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.261293
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article/13/8/rsos261293/483022/First-occurrence-of-polymicrobial-ulcer-in
Evidence of palaeopathological bone lesions in large-sized ornithopod dinosaurs is nowadays increasing significantly. However, most of these lesions are documented in derived ornithopods such as hadrosaurs, while pathologies associated with other styracosternans are scarcely documented. Here we document the occurrence of a palaeopathological lesion in a long bone of the iconic Iguanodon bernissartensis from the late Barremian Arcillas de Morella Formation (eastern Spain). The pathological long bone, a tibia, exhibits an anomalous overgrowth area at the midshaft covering part of its posteromedial side. Gross examination reveals a smooth and swollen surface with a well-defined lobulated morphology while computed tomography scan reveals a moderate cortical expansion (hyperdense subperiosteal bone area). Based on a differential diagnosis, including traumatic fracture callus, neoplastic growths and infections, the bone lesion is consistent with a pathological periosteal reaction and cortical thickening caused by a skin ulceration in an advanced stage affecting the osseous tissue. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of this type of pathological response to a bacterial infection in a dinosaur.
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Javier Salas-Herrera, José M. Gasulla, Santiago F. Marco Domenech, Ricardo Tosca-Segura, Francisco Ortega & Fernando Escaso (2026)
First occurrence of polymicrobial ulcer in dinosaurs
Royal Society Open Science 13(8): rsos261293 .
doi: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.261293
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article/13/8/rsos261293/483022/First-occurrence-of-polymicrobial-ulcer-in
Evidence of palaeopathological bone lesions in large-sized ornithopod dinosaurs is nowadays increasing significantly. However, most of these lesions are documented in derived ornithopods such as hadrosaurs, while pathologies associated with other styracosternans are scarcely documented. Here we document the occurrence of a palaeopathological lesion in a long bone of the iconic Iguanodon bernissartensis from the late Barremian Arcillas de Morella Formation (eastern Spain). The pathological long bone, a tibia, exhibits an anomalous overgrowth area at the midshaft covering part of its posteromedial side. Gross examination reveals a smooth and swollen surface with a well-defined lobulated morphology while computed tomography scan reveals a moderate cortical expansion (hyperdense subperiosteal bone area). Based on a differential diagnosis, including traumatic fracture callus, neoplastic growths and infections, the bone lesion is consistent with a pathological periosteal reaction and cortical thickening caused by a skin ulceration in an advanced stage affecting the osseous tissue. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of this type of pathological response to a bacterial infection in a dinosaur.
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Mickey Mortimer
Aug 27, 2026, 9:12:11 AM (8 days ago) Aug 27
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"Iguanodon bernissartensis Boulenger in [1] is the second dinosaur species named for science in the nineteenth century..."
Ah, the hazards of changing the type species...
Mickey Mortimer
Gregory Paul
Aug 27, 2026, 1:27:41 PM (8 days ago) Aug 27
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The placement of these fragmentary remains in the same taxon as the robust Bernissart skeletons is dubious,.the Gasulla et al 2022 paper that does so does not cite my earlier papers warning against doing so unless sufficient remains are available.
GSPaul
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