Research paper
Palaeohistology and palaeopathology of an Aeolosaurini (Sauropoda: Titanosauria) from Morro do Cambambe (Upper Cretaceous, Brazil)
ARTHUR S. BRUM
Laboratório de Paleobiologia e Paleogeografia Antártica, Departamento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional-Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. arthursbc@yahoo.com.br
Corresponding author
KAMILA L. N. BANDEIRA
Laboratório de Sistemática e Tafonomia de Vertebrados Fósseis, Departmento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista s/n, São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. kamilabandeira@yahoo.com.br
BORJA HOLGADO
Laboratório de Sistemática e Tafonomia de Vertebrados Fósseis, Departmento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista s/n, São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. borja.holgado@mn.ufrj.br
Institut Català de Paleontologia ‘Miquel Crusafont’, C/ de les Columnes, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193. Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
LUCY G. SOUZA
Museu da Amazônia, Av. Margarita, 6305, Jorge Teixeira, 69088-265 Manaus, AM, Brazil. souzalucyg@gmail.com
RODRIGO V. PÊGAS
Laboratório de Paleontologia de Vertebrados e Comportamento Animal, Universidade Federal do ABC, Alameda da Universidade s/n, Anchieta, 09606-045 São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil. rodrigo.pegas@hotmail.com
JULIANA M. SAYÃO
Laboratório de Sistemática e Tafonomia de Vertebrados Fósseis, Departmento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista s/n, São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. jmsayao@gmail.com
Laboratório de Sistemática e Tafonomia de Vertebrados Fósseis, Departmento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista s/n, São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
DIOGENES A. CAMPOS
Museu de Ciências da Terra, Serviço Geológico do Brasil – CPRM, Avenida Pasteur 404, Urca, 22290-255 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. diogenes.campos@cprm.gov.br
ALEXANDER W. A. KELLNER
Laboratório de Sistemática e Tafonomia de Vertebrados Fósseis, Departmento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista s/n, São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. kellner@mn.ufrj.br
ABSTRACT
A recent publication of fossil bones of titanosaurs assigned to Aeolosaurini from the Morro do Cambambe site (Mato Grosso state, Brazil, Upper Cretaceous) reported anomalous growth in some of them. Here, we present osteohistological sections of elements to understand not only the microstructure and growth of such bones, but also the nature of those anomalies. Among them, we selected one cervical and one mediumposterior dorsal rib, and a haemal arch. The primary bone of all specimens consisted of a variation of the fibrolamellar complex, with the inner cortex being rich in woven bone with dispersed longitudinal canals, while the outer cortex was parallel-fibred with rows of longitudinal canals, interlayered by Lines of Arrested Growth. We identified a maximum of two Lines of Arrested Growth in the cervical rib and haemal arch, and four in the dorsal rib. The haemal arch shows an External Fundamental System in most sections. The advanced remodelling and variation of the fibrolamellar bone in the cortex suggests that all the specimens represent individuals that reached sexual maturity. However, the haemal arch was distinct due to the wide distribution of External Fundamental System. Based on the microstructure, we identified a subadult semaphoront, and probably an adult. The dorsal rib exhibited periosteal and endosteal outgrowth. Such microstructure was assigned to a reactive bone due to an intra-thoracic infection (a pneumonia, probably related to a tuberculosis), which is the first report in a non-avian dinosaur. The microstructure resembles the medullary bone recovered in dinosaurs, which suggests that further studies of medullary bone in thoracic bones should also regard the pathological cases.
Key words: Pneumonia, palaeohistology, palaeopathology, Titanosauria, Upper Cretaceous, Brazil.
How to cite: Brum, A.S., Bandeira, K.L., Holgado, B., Souza, L.G., Pêgas, R.V., Sayão, J.M., Campos, D.A. & Kellner, A.W.A. 2021. Palaeohistology and palaeopathology of an Aeolosaurini (Sauropoda: Titanosauria) from Morro do Cambambe (Upper Cretaceous, Brazil). Spanish Journal of Palaeontology, 36 (1), 1–18.
Received 17 Dec 2019, Accepted 19 August 2020, Published online: 22 March 2021
https://doi.org/10.7203/sjp.36.1.20305
