SCITECH
Ancient 'Loch Ness Monster' suffered arthritis
May 16, 2012
May 16, 2012
 |
CONTINUED...
Michael Benton, a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Bristol in England, told LiveScience. "To stand beside its skull and realize that it is 3 meters long, and massive and heavy as it is, that it once functioned with muscles and blood vessels and nerves, is amazing. You can lie down inside its mouth."
Normally, with huge jaws and teeth about 8 inches (20 centimeters) long, this pliosaur could have ripped most other animals apart. However, paleontologists found this specimen was apparently afflicted with an arthritis-like disease.
Old lady pliosaur
Benton and his colleagues analyzed an approximately 150-million-year-old specimen of
Michael Benton, a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Bristol in England, told LiveScience. "To stand beside its skull and realize that it is 3 meters long, and massive and heavy as it is, that it once functioned with muscles and blood vessels and nerves, is amazing. You can lie down inside its mouth."
Normally, with huge jaws and teeth about 8 inches (20 centimeters) long, this pliosaur could have ripped most other animals apart. However, paleontologists found this specimen was apparently afflicted with an arthritis-like disease.
Old lady pliosaur
Benton and his colleagues analyzed an approximately 150-million-year-old specimen of
 |  |
 |  |
| |
Twitter
Delicious
Digg
Visit other CBS Interactive sites:
© MMXII CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.
