El primer caso de patología identificado en simosáuridos en el XXIII EJIP

Miembros del Grupo de Biología Evolutiva de la UNED han presentado durante el XXIII EJIP el trabajo titulado “First case of a pathology identified in the sauropterygian clade Simosauridae”. En esta comunicación, se ha presentado el primer caso de una patología en el grupo de sauropterigios Simosauridae, discutiéndose el posible origen de dichas estructuras patológicas. A continuación, os dejamos el resumen perteneciente a este trabajo:

The record of paleopathologies in the marine reptile group Sauropterygia is relatively scarce in the literature. These pathologies generally correspond to avascular necrosis, vertebral lesions, or bite marks. Among the vertebral lesions, osteophytes and Schmorl nodes are the most commonly reported, interpreted as derived from degenerative pathologies. Other vertebral anomalies known in this lineage include vertebral fusions, hemivertebrae, blebs, and subchondral erosions and cysts. These have been proposed as being caused by congenital malformations (i.e., vertebral fusions, hemivertebrae), infections (i.e., vertebral fusions, blebs), bite marks (i.e., vertebral fusions), or osteoarthritis (i.e., subchondral erosions and cysts). Most of these pathologies have been reported in Jurassic and Cretaceous plesiosaurs. Conversely, the documented pathologies in Triassic sauropterygians are very limited. Simosauridae is a relatively poorly known lineage of Triassic eosauropterygians, considering both their relatively fragmentary fossil record and their limited diversity and paleobiogeographic distribution, only recorded from Europe and the Middle East (i.e., restricted to the western margin of the Tethys Sea). Most simosaurid remains come from Europe, from where the only two defined species of the group are known: Simosaurus gaillardoti, from the Ladinian of France and Germany, and Paludidraco multidentatus, from the Carnian of Spain. Despite the availability of relatively complete simosaur skeletons and additional, but mostly isolated remains, no pathologies have hitherto been reported for Simosauridae. In this study, we report on the first case of a pathology in Simosauridae, providing its detailed characterization. It corresponds to paired and symmetrical bulks located on the articular facets of several most posterior dorsal centra of the Paludidraco multidentatus holotype. This type of pathology has never been reported for any sauropterygian or other marine reptile. Additionally, the potential pathological origins for these structures are analyzed, with long-term biomechanical stress or a congenital disorder being discussed as the most probable causes.

Más información:

• Imagen: Portada de la comunicación oral presentada en el congreso XXIII EJIP.
• Referencia: Cabezuelo Hernández, A., de Miguel Chaves, C., Ortega, F., Pérez-García, A. 2025. First case of a pathology identified in the sauropterygian clade Simosauridae. XXIII Encuentro de Jóvenes Investigadores en Paleontología (EJIP), Buñol, Valencia.