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Old Bones

Evidence of cancer in an ancient turtle fossil

21 March 2019

Old Bones

Causing an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018, cancer is one of the most significant health concerns worldwide. While we generally focus on modern behaviours increasing the risk of cancer, such as smoking or exposure to pollutants, this disease has an ancient origin. Scientists recently discovered evidence of cancer in a 240-million-year-old fossil of an extinct relative of turtles, Pappochelys rosinae (pictured), making it the oldest known case in an amniote, the group of vertebrates including reptiles, birds and mammals. Pappochelys fossils helped palaeontologists shed light on how turtles evolved shells, but a suspicious growth on one specimen’s femur also caught their attention. Micro CT scans revealed a bone tumour closely resembling periosteal osteosarcoma, a bone cancer found in humans. While most tumours develop in soft tissues, so are not preserved in the fossil record, this discovery highlights the ancient nature of the genetic and cellular processes underpinning this disease.

Written by Emmanuelle Briolat

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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