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Spondylosis in Pre‐Columbian Domestic Dogs (Canis familiaris) from Weyanoke Old Town Virginia
Author(s) -
Kelderhouse Charles,
Warner Samantha,
Smith Laura,
Mixon Emily R,
Blick Jeffrey P,
Uhl Elizabeth W
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.1034.14
Subject(s) - cervical spondylosis , medicine , anatomy , canis , paleopathology , breed , biology , pathology , zoology , paleontology , alternative medicine
One hundred and twenty‐five pre‐Columbian (760–1310 AD) dog skeletons excavated from Weyanoke Old Town, a Native American village site in Virginia, were assessed for signs of spondylosis, a degenerative disease of the spine characterized by proliferation of osteophytes along the ventral aspect of the intervertebral joints. Spondylosis has been described in many species, including dogs, red foxes, wolves, and coyotes. The dogs in this study were medium sized, averaging 42 cm tall and 12–13 kgs. Lesions of spondylosis were found in 18 dogs and scored based upon severity. The affected dogs were mature to older individuals based on the presence of ossified costal cartilage, dental wear, and fused growth plates. In contrast to those in modern dogs, the lesions in the pre‐Columbian dogs were more localized and less severe. In the ancient dogs, spondylosis lesions were confined to the lumbar vertebra (L1–L7), while in modern dogs lesions were also common in the cervical (C5–C7) and thoracic (T4–T9) vertebrae. Spondylosis has been correlated with the age, but other factors affect its development including biomechanics, weight, and breed. The results of this study indicate that spondylosis was common in pre‐historic as well as modern dogs, but was generally less extensive and less severe in prehistoric dogs.