[dinosaur] Triceratops with kinked tail

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Ben [email protected]=0A=0AA new paper:=0A=0A=0AMatthew Canoy =
Illies & Denver W. Fowler (2019)=0ATriceratops with a kink: Co-ossification=
 of five distal caudal vertebrae=0Afrom the Hell Creek Formation of North D=
akota.=0ACretaceous Research 104355 (advance online publication)=0Adoi:  ht=
tps://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__doi.org_10.1016_j.cret=
res.2019.104355&d=3DDwIFaQ&c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&=
r=3DRy_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&m=3DMYEmBN-NlKC9ur5vSxB2rSb=
9huO6ylyD5Cc6xiFh1so&s=3DBzOHNRn5ZiIfWechLucnHrGQLrk7swlp3ELVEGf_0wY&e=3D=
=20=0Ahttps://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__www.sciencedir=
ect.com_science_article_pii_S019566711930271X&d=3DDwIFaQ&c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEO=
VIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=3DRy_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9=
SI&m=3DMYEmBN-NlKC9ur5vSxB2rSb9huO6ylyD5Cc6xiFh1so&s=3DE_iBSNxlL0reBHHGx5RC=
2451o6YAAsAbNdHkpa_n9mY&e=3D=20=0A=0A=0APaleopathologies present an unusual=
 but direct source of information on=0Adinosaur ecology, as they are often =
the immediate result of feeding or=0Alocomotory behaviors, social interacti=
on, or predation. Here we present a=0Aseries of five pathologically co-ossi=
fied caudal vertebrae from the Hell=0ACreek Formation of North Dakota, whic=
h are part of an associated skeleton,=0ANDGS 1715, of Triceratops (Dinosaur=
ia: Ceratopsidae). Comparisons to=0Apublished ceratopsid tails demonstrate =
that the co-ossified mass probably=0Arepresents caudal vertebrae 26-30, pos=
itioned approximately three-quarters=0Aof the way along the tail. The patho=
logy takes the form of complete=0Aco-ossification of centrum faces, with th=
e centra swollen by additional=0Abone growth on the lateral and ventral mar=
gins. The co-ossified mass shows=0Aa gentle right lateral curvature through=
 caudal centra 26-29. The=0Aposteriormost centrum, 30, continues the right =
lateral curvature, but at a=0Ahigher angle, exhibiting a =E2=88=BC30=C2=B0 =
deflection at the contact with the face of=0Athe fourth centrum. The poster=
ior face of centrum 30 is either damaged or=0Avery strongly distorted by th=
e pathology as it is oriented at approximately=0A80=C2=B0 relative to the a=
nterior face of the first centrum. No caudal vertebrae=0Amore posterior tha=
n number 30 were found associated with the specimen.=0AThus, either the tai=
l was bent, exhibiting a prominent 100o kink at=0Aapproximately three quart=
ers of its length, or it was truncated,=0Aimmediately at the posterior end =
of the co-ossified mass. Similar=0Apathologically co-ossified caudal verteb=
rae have been figured for other=0Aceratopsids (TMP 1989.097.001 and TMP 87.=
55.102), possibly indicating a=0Asimilar causal mechanism. Etiology of the =
pathology is however, difficult=0Ato determine, with possible causes includ=
ing lateral crushing by=0Aconspecifics (trampling), collision with conspeci=
fics or environmental=0Astructures, truncation via predation, or disease.=
=0A=

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div><br></div>Ben Creisler<div><a href=3D"mailto:bcreisle=
[email protected]">[email protected]</a></div><div><br></div><div>A new paper:<=
br><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Matthew Canoy Illies &amp; Denver W. =
Fowler (2019)<br>Triceratops with a kink: Co-ossification of five distal ca=
udal vertebrae from the Hell Creek Formation of North Dakota.<br>Cretaceous=
 Research 104355 (advance online publication)<br>doi: =C2=A0<a href=3D"http=
s://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__doi.org_10.1016_j.cretre=
s.2019.104355&amp;d=3DDwMFaQ&amp;c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSf=
nc_gI&amp;r=3DRy_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&amp;m=3DMYEmBN-Nl=
KC9ur5vSxB2rSb9huO6ylyD5Cc6xiFh1so&amp;s=3DBzOHNRn5ZiIfWechLucnHrGQLrk7swlp=
3ELVEGf_0wY&amp;e=3D">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2019.104355</a> <br=
><a href=3D"https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__www.scie=
ncedirect.com_science_article_pii_S019566711930271X&amp;d=3DDwMFaQ&amp;c=3D=
clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&amp;r=3DRy_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZge=
cRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&amp;m=3DMYEmBN-NlKC9ur5vSxB2rSb9huO6ylyD5Cc6xiFh1so&am=
p;s=3DE_iBSNxlL0reBHHGx5RC2451o6YAAsAbNdHkpa_n9mY&amp;e=3D">https://www.sci=
encedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019566711930271X</a><br><br><br>Paleopa=
thologies present an unusual but direct source of information on dinosaur e=
cology, as they are often the immediate result of feeding or locomotory beh=
aviors, social interaction, or predation. Here we present a series of five =
pathologically co-ossified caudal vertebrae from the Hell Creek Formation o=
f North Dakota, which are part of an associated skeleton, NDGS 1715, of Tri=
ceratops (Dinosauria: Ceratopsidae). Comparisons to published ceratopsid ta=
ils demonstrate that the co-ossified mass probably represents caudal verteb=
rae 26-30, positioned approximately three-quarters of the way along the tai=
l. The pathology takes the form of complete co-ossification of centrum face=
s, with the centra swollen by additional bone growth on the lateral and ven=
tral margins. The co-ossified mass shows a gentle right lateral curvature t=
hrough caudal centra 26-29. The posteriormost centrum, 30, continues the ri=
ght lateral curvature, but at a higher angle, exhibiting a =E2=88=BC30=C2=
=B0 deflection at the contact with the face of the fourth centrum. The post=
erior face of centrum 30 is either damaged or very strongly distorted by th=
e pathology as it is oriented at approximately 80=C2=B0 relative to the ant=
erior face of the first centrum. No caudal vertebrae more posterior than nu=
mber 30 were found associated with the specimen. Thus, either the tail was =
bent, exhibiting a prominent 100o kink at approximately three quarters of i=
ts length, or it was truncated, immediately at the posterior end of the co-=
ossified mass. Similar pathologically co-ossified caudal vertebrae have bee=
n figured for other ceratopsids (TMP 1989.097.001 and TMP 87.55.102), possi=
bly indicating a similar causal mechanism. Etiology of the pathology is how=
ever, difficult to determine, with possible causes including lateral crushi=
ng by conspecifics (trampling), collision with conspecifics or environmenta=
l structures, truncation via predation, or disease.<br><br></div></div></di=
v>=0A=

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