Comparison of structure and composition of a fossil Champsosaurus vertebra with modern Crocodylidae vertebrae: A multi-instrumental approach

C Wöss; S H Unterberger; G Degenhart; A Akolkar; R Traxl; V Kuhn; M Schirmer; A K Pallua; R Tappert; J D Pallua

doi:10.1016/j.jmbbm.2020.103668

Comparison of structure and composition of a fossil Champsosaurus vertebra with modern Crocodylidae vertebrae: A multi-instrumental approach

J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2020 Apr:104:103668. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2020.103668. Epub 2020 Feb 3.

Authors

C Wöss¹, S H Unterberger², G Degenhart³, A Akolkar⁴, R Traxl², V Kuhn⁵, M Schirmer⁶, A K Pallua⁷, R Tappert⁸, J D Pallua⁹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Müllerstraße 44, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
² Unit for Material Technology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 13, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
³ Department of Radiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
⁴ Illwerke vkw Professorship for Energy Efficiency, Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences, Hochschulstraße 1, 6850, Dornbirn, Austria; Josef Ressel Center for Applied Computational Science in Energy, Finance, and Logistics, Hochschulstraße 1, 6850, Dornbirn, Austria.
⁵ Department of Traumatology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
⁶ Department of Internal Medicine, Clinic II, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
⁷ Former Institute for Computed Tomography-Neuro CT, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
⁸ Hyperspectral Intelligence Inc., Box 851, Gibsons, British Columbia, V0N 1V0, Canada.
⁹ Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Müllerstraße 44, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria; Institute of Pathology, Neuropathology and Molecular Pathology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Müllerstraße 44, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. Electronic address: johannes.pallua@i-med.ac.at.

PMID: 32174426
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2020.103668

Abstract

Information on the adaptation of bone structures during evolution is rare since histological data are limited. Micro- and nano-computed tomography of a fossilized vertebra from Champsosaurus sp., which has an estimated age of 70-73 million years, revealed lower porosity and higher bone density compared to modern Crocodylidae vertebrae. Mid-infrared reflectance and energy dispersive X-ray mapping excluded a petrification process, and demonstrated a typical carbonate apatite distribution, confirming histology in light- and electron microscopy of the preserved vertebra. As a consequence of this evolutionary process, the two vertebrae of modern Crocodylidae show reduced overall stiffness in the finite element analysis simulation compared to the fossilized Champsosaurus sp. vertebra, with predominant stiffness along the longitudinal z-axes.

MeSH terms

Bone Density
Computer Simulation
Finite Element Analysis
Fossils*
Lumbar Vertebrae / anatomy & histology
Spine* / diagnostic imaging
Tomography, X-Ray Computed