Pain in dinosaurs: what is the evidence?

Hearn, Leslie; Williams, Amanda C de C

doi:10.1098/rstb.2019.0370

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 63 publications

(86 reference statements)

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“…Dangers from predators and aggressive conspecifics have probably been major selection pressures for persistent alterations in nociceptive systems since the Precambrian era. Presenting a systematic meta-analysis of fossil evidence from the Mesozoic Era, Hearn & Williams [48] conclude that dinosaurs could survive long after severe injuries, during which time guarding behaviour appears to have been present, possibly accompanied by persistent pain. Walters [45] argues on the basis of such evidence and from field and laboratory observations of living species that some forms of chronic pain and persistent nociceptor hyperactivity are adaptations that promote survival after injuries severe enough to cause permanent disfigurement and impairment of motor function.…”

Section: Adaptive and Maladaptive Features Of Pain Behaviour And Its mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several papers in this issue address questions about pain-related social behaviour that involve evolutionary considerations. Hearn & Williams [48] discuss evidence from fossils (including fossilized track patterns) and from the behaviour of contemporary archosaurs (birds and crocodiles) that is consistent with parental and family care by dinosaurs. This may have extended to help with injured family members expressing pain.…”

Section: Evolutionary Aspects Of Pain-related Social Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain

Walters

Williams

2019

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Our understanding of the biology of pain is limited by our ignorance about its evolution. We know little about how states in other species showing various degrees of apparent similarity to human pain states are related to human pain, or how the mechanisms essential for pain-related states evolved. Nevertheless, insights into the evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain are beginning to emerge from wide-ranging investigations of cellular mechanisms and behavioural responses linked to nociceptor activation, tissue injury, inflammation and the environmental context of these responses in diverse species. In February 2019, an unprecedented meeting on the evolution of pain hosted by the Royal Society brought together scientists from disparate fields who investigate nociception and pain-related behaviour in crustaceans, insects, leeches, gastropod and cephalopod molluscs, fish and mammals (primarily rodents and humans). Here, we identify evolutionary themes that connect these research efforts, including adaptive and maladaptive features of pain-related behavioural and neuronal alterations—some of which are quite general, and some that may apply primarily to humans. We also highlight major questions, including how pain should be defined, that need to be answered as we seek to understand the evolution of pain. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain’.

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Section: Adaptive and Maladaptive Features Of Pain Behaviour And Its mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Evolutionary Aspects Of Pain-related Social Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain

Walters

Williams

2019

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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“…During the healing period the pathology likely caused discomfort and pain, due to the tendon action of M. flexor hallucius longus (Carrano and Hutchinson 2002). In this way, every time Othnielosaurus took a step, the tendon would have exerted pressure on the fracture that would likely have resulted in pain and protective behaviour related to use of the injured limb (Hearn and Williams 2019). On the other hand, the impact fractures located in the phalanges III-1 and IV-4, which supported the weight of Othnielosaurus on the ground, might had causing chronic pain and, consequently, a limp.…”

Section: Implications On Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The presence of fractures in dinosaur tends to be more abundant in the axial skeleton and proximal areas of the body (Rothschild and Martin 2006;Arbour and Currie 2011;Peterson and Vittore 2012;Hearn and Williams 2019). Although it is common to find pedal elements in the tetrapod fossil record, they are not usually preserved together after death, so it is difficult to find a complete pes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A limping dinosaur in the Late Jurassic: Pathologies in the pes of the neornithischianOthnielosaurus consorsfrom the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic, USA)

et al. 2020

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The study of palaeopathology provides valuable information about injury and behaviour in extinct organisms. Appendicular pathologies are interesting as they directly affect mobility and therefore the ability of an animal to survive. Here, the injuries recorded in the left pes of the neornithischian Othnielosaurus consors are described. The implications of these injuries in its behaviour are also discussed. Othnielosaurus shows pathological features in all its pes digits, with three types of pathologies have been identified: calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD), and pilon and impact fractures. Calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease is visible on the articular surface of phalange II-3 as a small osseous plaque. A pilon fracture is evidenced by the growth of callus tissue on the shaft of the phalange I-1 and demonstrates healing before death. The impact fractures are identified as a focal subsidence on the articular surfaces of phalanges III-1 and IV-4, which are partially healed. Perhaps the suite of palaeopathologies encountered would generate pain and discomfort when walking, which probably resulted in a limp that would have impacted on its lifestyle. Finally, the fact that the fractures are in different stages of healing would suggest that impact fractures could have contributed to the death of the individual.

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“…For example, cases have been described in which wild hyenas raised cubs successfully after amputation or disabling fractures of both hindlimbs; remarkably, after being mauled by other hyenas, one female hyena survived as a paraplegic for at least 9 years [19]. In addition, there is substantial evidence in the fossil record for healing after serious injury, for example, in trilobites [20] and dinosaurs [21,22]. Together, these observations suggest effective selection during evolution for adaptive responses to severe, persistent injuries.…”

Section: Increased Vulnerability After Severe Injury Is a Plausible Selection Pressure For The Evolution Of Mechanisms Important For Chromentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive mechanisms driving maladaptive pain: how chronic ongoing activity in primary nociceptors can enhance evolutionary fitness after severe injury

Walters

2019

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Chronic pain is considered maladaptive by clinicians because it provides no apparent protective or recuperative benefits. Similarly, evolutionary speculations have assumed that chronic pain represents maladaptive or evolutionarily neutral dysregulation of acute pain mechanisms. By contrast, the present hypothesis proposes that chronic pain can be driven by mechanisms that evolved to reduce increased vulnerability to attack from predators and aggressive conspecifics, which often target prey showing physical impairment after severe injury. Ongoing pain and anxiety persisting long after severe injury continue to enhance vigilance and behavioural caution, decreasing the heightened vulnerability to attack that results from motor impairment and disfigurement, thereby increasing survival and reproduction (fitness). This hypothesis is supported by evidence of animals surviving and reproducing after traumatic amputations, and by complex specializations that enable primary nociceptors to detect local and systemic signs of injury and inflammation, and to maintain low-frequency discharge that can promote ongoing pain indefinitely. Ongoing activity in nociceptors involves intricate electrophysiological and anatomical specializations, including inducible alterations in the expression of ion channels and receptors that produce persistent hyperexcitability and hypersensitivity to chemical signals of injury. Clinically maladaptive chronic pain may sometimes result from the recruitment of this powerful evolutionary adaptation to severe bodily injury. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain’.

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Pain in dinosaurs: what is the evidence?

Cited by 11 publications

References 63 publications

Evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain

Evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain

A limping dinosaur in the Late Jurassic: Pathologies in the pes of the neornithischianOthnielosaurus consorsfrom the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic, USA)

Adaptive mechanisms driving maladaptive pain: how chronic ongoing activity in primary nociceptors can enhance evolutionary fitness after severe injury

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