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Review
. 2024 May 15;14(10):1474.
doi: 10.3390/ani14101474.

Ancient Diseases in Vertebrates: Tumours through the Ages

Andreia Garcês  1   2 , Isabel Pires  2 , Sara Garcês  3   4   5
Affiliations
Review

Ancient Diseases in Vertebrates: Tumours through the Ages

Andreia Garcês et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

Paleo-oncology studies neoplastic diseases in fossilised animals, including human remains. Recent advancements have enabled more accurate diagnoses of ancient pathologies despite the inherent challenges in identifying tumours in fossils-such as the rarity of well-preserved specimens, the predominance of bone remains, and the difficulty in distinguishing neoplastic from non-neoplastic lesions. This study compiles reports of tumours in fossilised animals, highlighting that neoplasms are present in a wide range of vertebrates and drawing comparisons to modern instances of similar diseases. The findings underscore the multifactorial aetiology of tumours, which involves genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors, and suggest that tumours have been around for at least 350 million years.

Keywords: disease; fossil; palaeontology; paleo-oncology; tumour.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Paleontological timeline from the Proterozoic to the Cenozoic.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A)—Osteosarcoma in the vertebral intercentrum in Metoposaurus krasiejowensis (specimen ZPAL Ab III/2467); (B)—femur osteosarcoma in Pappochelys rosinae (Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde, Stuttgart, Germany); (C)—femur osteoblastic tumour in Bonitasaura salgadoi (MPCA 460); (D)—vertebral osteoma in Titanosauridae (UFRJ-DG 508-R); (E)—vertebral hemangioma and rib osteochondroma in Apatosaurus (N/A); (F)—non-odontogenic osteoma in the right mandibular branch of a Benthosuchus korobkovi (GGM-0277-14/PV-00650); (G)—lower jaw ameloblastoma in Telmatosaurus transsylvanicus (LPB (FGGUB) R.1305); (H)—tibia osteosarcoma in Ovis aries palustris (N/A); (I)—jaw osteoma in Mourasuchus pattersoni (MCNC-PAL-110-72V); (J)—pituitary tumour in Valgipes bucklandi (MCT 4272-M); (K)—femur osteosarcoma in Nothrotherium maquinense (MCT4230-M); (L)—osteoma in the skull of Coelodonta antiquitatis (GMM KGU n747). Illustration by Andreia Garcês based on photos of the fossil and a description of the species. Boxes in black refer to the lesion location in the bone, boxes in orange are the bone anatomical location on the animal.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Distribution of tumour by vertebrate groups, malignancy, and malignancy by vertebrate class.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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