Duck-Billed Dinosaurs Suffered From Cancer

Polyploid Pimp writes "Nature reports a study by Bruce Rothschild of NEOUCOM about cancer in dinosaurs. Rothschild's group X-rayed 10,000 bones of over 700 museum specimens across North America. They found that only one group, the hadrosaurs or duck-billed dinosaurs got cancer. They hypothesize the cancer may be due to the dinosaurs presumed diet of conifers, which contain a number of known carcinogens. Additionally, this group of dinosaurs is thought (by some people) to have been warm blooded, which may have increased their cancer risk. They cite as support for conducting their study that understanding the causes and rates of cancer in other animals may provide insight into human cancers. I find it an interesting story as it demonstrates another use for museum specimens outside of their original collection purposes, and represents (to me at least) one reason to keep funding them, since you never know how the material may be used in the future."

Gary Larsen knew...

[rhombic]

Come on, everybody knows dinosaurs got cancer from smoking. Duh.

Erm?

[WTFmonkey]

Dinosaur tumours have been mooted before...

What? Is that a paleontological term, or just a british one?

Re:Erm?

[Valdrax]

To moot means to bring up for discussion. The word has fallen out of usage in American English (at least).

The adjective

moot is originally a legal term going back to the mid-16th century. It derives from the noun moot, in its sense of a hypothetical case argued as an exercise by law students. Consequently, a moot question is one that is arguable or open to debate. But in the mid-19th century people also began to look at the hypothetical side of moot as its essential meaning, and they started to use the wor

British

[siskbc]

Dinosaur tumours have been mooted before...

What? Is that a paleontological term, or just a british one?

Honestly, someone should teach the British to speak English. ;)

X-rays can induce cancer as well (see picture)

[Anonymous Coward]

X-raying bones the way this guy does on the picture [nature.com]doesn't seem very safe to me. In hospitals, X-ray operations are protected by leaded windows or aprons (sp?)... Studying dinos causes cancer ;-)

Re:X-rays can induce cancer as well (see picture)

[kabocox]

Hey, we all appericate his noble work for science. Many scientists have become ill studying new areas... of course they didn't know the dangers of what they were studying. This guy is using a tool that should have a warning label on it. I hope that he is following all the recommended safety precautions.

Re:X-rays can induce cancer as well (see picture)

[greenhide]

It's not easy to spot in the picture, but an experienced eye can easily pick out the bulge caused by a lead-lined jockstrap.

Re:X-rays can induce cancer as well (see picture)

[linzeal]

What kind of exerience is required to spot lead lined jock straps? Do tell.

Bone cancer, or all types?

[bluGill]

AFAIK we only have bones (and fossilized ones at that, which don't really contain the origional bone), and not the rest of the dinosaur to examine. So are they willing to say no type of cancer in all those others, or just no bone cancer?

Re:Bone cancer, or all types?

[Carnildo]

When someone dies from cancer, it's usually because the cancer has spread all over the body, so what may have started out as skin cancer can be found in places like bones.

Cancer with an all natural diet?

[Anonymous Coward]

They didnt even have artificial colors or flavors, and they still got cancer!

Next Week's Headline:

[Anonymous Coward]

The state of California has determined under Proposition 65 that being warm-blodded is hazardous to one's health. All warm-blooded individuals are hereby ordered to evacuate the State by April 2007.

Re:Next Week's Headline:

[Blondie-Wan]

This already happened a long time ago in Orange County.

Re:Next Week's Headline:

[TheBeardIsRed]

That will be amazing... A state full of lawyers, politicians, and similar reptiles and amphibian pond scum!

Lol

[BoomerSooner]

I find it an interesting story as it demonstrates another use for museum specimens outside of their original collection purposes, and represents (to me at least) one reason to keep funding them, since you never know how the material may be used in the future.

I wish I could convice my parent company that they need to keep funding our office because they cannot predict what benefit we may be in the future! I bet there's more than one VC based company thinking the same thing.

Carcinogens conifers

[Mr Europe]

How do we know what is carcinogens for dinosaurs. Thay could have quite a differnet digestion system from ours and current animals. What irritates our stomach could be healthy to dinosaurs.

Re:Carcinogens conifers

[fain0v]

Carcinogens are for the most part carcinogens to all amimals. The ames test is the current test which is done on bacteria to determine if a substance is a mutagen(not the same as a carcinogen, but close). DNA is DNA every plant and animal AND dinosaur has it. A substance that causes cancer in one animal will in all likelyhood cause cancer in another.

Yeah, whatever

[vidnet]

I'm not sending them postcards. The scam about the little girl was believable, but duck-billed dinosaurs?!

This is getting old.

ducks?

[bobba22]

I had no idea ducks were around in the age of the dinosaurs! What service were they providing and how did the billing system work? Why was it that only the dinosaurs being billed by the ducks were susceptable to cancer? How do we know now which dinos were indeed being billed by the ducks? Should we be avoiding ducks now? If I am over on my payments to a duck, should I be worried about cancer? Alternatively - Why are they called duck-billed dinos? surely they had the bills before ducks did, therefore making

A long time with defect contradicts evolution.

[annisette]

unless it is benign most of the time having vunerability to cancer (I would think) would end a species long before it had a chance to exist for millions of years.The theory of survival of a species is pretty tough to major faults. A baby elephant (chuckle)born with one leg shorter does not start a herd of elephants with the same likness it gets eaten. If the food of a duck bill hurts the duckbill it seem to me like a couple of generations before the end. X-raying rocks that look like bones can tell a lot

Re:A long time with defect contradicts evolution.

[perrye]

The idea that susceptibility to cancer would eliminate a species is flawed. Most of the time cancer only shows up after the reproductive years are past. Indeed, an individual that does develope cancer before reproducing will be eliminated from the population.

Re:A long time with defect contradicts evolution.

[annisette]

I see the point you make, thanks for your reply.