This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Tuesday, 15 February 2022
An Ancient Infection?
A paper in Scientific Reports describes finding nodules on the fossilised neck bones of a giant diplodocid dinosaur (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/feb/10/respiratory-infection-found-in-dinosaur-that-lived-150m-years-ago). The fossil, formed 150m years ago, was in the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum in Montana. Diplodocid dinosaurs have respiratory systems rather like those of birds. The nodules were similar to those seen in the necks of birds with aspergillosis infections. Aspergillosis infections are caused by inhaling mould spores. The dinosaur ('Dolly') could have had a serious, life-challenging respiratory infection. Such infections are, clearly, far from being recent inventions.
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