Tyrannosaurus Rex, which roamed the Earth 68 million years ago, appears to have had a bone disease that caused severe toothache, a new study shows. A team from Germany claims that a severe infection called tumofective osteomyelitis originated in the bone marrow of the dinosaur’s left jaw. It probably caused the beast, which scientists have called “Tristan Otto”, a painful toothache – turning it into a predator with a bad mood. The fossilized remains of the creature are almost completely intact, making it one of the best-preserved specimens ever found. Scanning has now identified one of the earliest known cases of a painful condition that regularly affects humans. Lead author Dr Charlie Hamm, a radiologist at Charité University Hospital in Berlin, said a CT scan of the fossil showed a thickening of the lower left jaw bone and a mass on the surface of the jaw that extended to the root. on one of Otto’s teeth. To make this discovery, the German team used a non-invasive technique called DECT (dual-energy computed tomography). The scan revealed a significant accumulation of the element fluorine – a find associated with brittle bones.
Dr. Hamm adds that the mass and accumulation of fluoride support the diagnosis of tumor osteomyelitis – a bone infection. Paleontologists discovered the T-rex in Montana in 2010. It is one of the few T-rex skulls with a complete set of its 60 deadly dagger-like teeth. With a height of 4 meters, 11 meters and weighing about 8 tons, Otto is larger than a double-decker bus. Since the discovery of the first in 1902, only about 50 T-Rex fossils have been found so far. None of them were found 100 percent intact. With 170 original bones from about 300 skeletal pieces, Tristan Otto is one of the best specimens scientists can learn from. Researchers describe T-Rex as “a familiar object of today’s popular culture.” Experts believe that he was one of the largest predators to ever roam the Earth. The fame of the creature has led to it being called the “king of dinosaurs”.
