When you think of arthritis, and that is probably not much unless you, someone close to you or one of your pets is burdened with it in one form or another, you likely do not wonder how long it has been around. The truth be told, or what seems likely to be the truth, is that arthritis has been afflicting creatures on earth since long before most, if not all, of our current mountain ranges were even hills.
It has been reported that scientists have discovered the fossilized remains of a pliosaur, a sea roaming, predatory beast, of huge proportions, that evidently had an arthritis like disease in its jaws. They say it suffered from it for years, long enough to put its jaws out of alignment so that the teeth (and some of its teeth were up to 8 inches long in a jaw about 10 feet long) of the upper jaw left marks in the lower jawbone. Ouch is all I can think. I have osteoarthritis and bursitis, have had disc surgery due to a completely extruded disc, and have suffered with Lyme disease twice. I know the terrible pain such maladies can cause even when the diseases are not severe. I cannot imagine living for years with excruciating arthritis pain, as they surmise this great beast must have done, that is until its jaw broke. They think it broke due to erosion of the jaw joint, misalignment and other arthritis caused damage - and never healed again thus maybe leading to its death by way of starvation.
Interesting article, worth a read. See it here: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/05/16/ancient-loch-ness-monster-suffered-arthritis/
All the best,
Glenn B
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