scientists found “Bone cancer” in a 77-million-year-old Centrosaurus fossil suggests that the disease has existed on Earth for tens of millions of years.
“Cancer” It is one of the deadliest diseases in the world, averaging about 10 million cases annually, and is a disease known to mankind for a long time. Since the ancient Egyptian empire, 5,000 years ago, there is evidence confirming it as a papyrus document. that records the patient’s symptoms, which are very similar to those of cancer
But did you know that cancer actually has a much older history? Not just a thousand years, ten thousand years or a hundred thousand years, but going back ten million years!
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over the past several decades Paleontologist and pathologist tried to study diseases and injuries in the ancient world by studying fossils or fossils of various living things
What they found was Cancer has existed on earth since the age of the dinosaurs, over 70 million years ago!
From the study of fossils of herbivorous dinosaurs Centrosaurus (Centrosaurus opened), which is a cousin of the triceratops. scientists found “Osteosarcoma bone cancer (Osteosarcoma)” or cancer of the shin bone which is currently found in approximately 25,000 people worldwide per year
The discovery, made in 2020, marks the first time a malignant cancer has been diagnosed in a dinosaur. And it takes a multidisciplinary team of scientists to confirm the findings.
Bruce Rothschild, a researcher in vertebrate paleontology at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. “This study started out as a guess … but it turned out that the research team discovered a deadly disease in dinosaurs. which is a disease that looks like a disease that still affects humans or other animals today.”
The discovery was the work of David Evans, a paleontologist at the University of Toronto, and Mark Crowther, a hematologist at the School of Medicine. McMaster University Currently, the research team consists of eight medical experts, including modern cancer experts. and 4 paleontologists
Evans says This discovery was not easy. This is because pathological information on fossil specimens is often recorded. But they are not organized according to their disease or state of health. As a result, bones or fossils that are characterized by diseases are often scattered among collections around the world.
After searching for hundreds of bones at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Canada, along with several other scientists, including pathologist Cezana Popovich, mcmaster university bone They also noticed signs of bone cancer on the centrosaurus tibia fossil.
“I remember Cesana picked up this bone and said, ‘I think this is bone cancer,’” Evans said.
The found bone had a lump at its end. At first glance, there are signs that it is bone cancer. There is a noticeably irregular shape and a large, unnatural foramina (opening) around the lump.
The research team used all means to confirm their 77-million-year-old diagnosis. They compared the lumpy bone with the bones of another centrosaurus and a human fibula with confirmed osteosarcoma. using several techniques both x-ray High quality CT scan along with 3D tools and histological techniques. to generate samples for study at the cellular level
Evans says “That allows us to diagnose cancer in the same way as human patients … We cut the bones. And can trace the tumor that winds through the bone from the knee to the ankle.”
However, it is believed that cancer or at least osteosarcoma It might be older than this. Cancer was also diagnosed in a 240-million-year-old turtle from the Triassic period.
This finding shows that Cancer is not just a human disease. and not a modern disease But what is old? and have been with life on earth for a long time It is unlikely that further studies could lead to incredible discoveries.
Evans hope His research will bring physicians, researchers and specialists More interested in working with paleontologists to make new discoveries about rare diseases that may be found in fossils “Who knows what those discoveries will lead to?”
He said his research team is now working with another set of researchers. Evidence of bone cancer may be found in carnivorous dinosaurs.
compiled from BBC
Picture from AFP/Getty Images.
