X-ray microtomography and 3D visualization of a plesiosaur propodial (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) from the Late Cretaceous of southern Sweden provides insights in bone histology, bone microstructures, and bone growth.
(2023) 83rd Annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology- Abstract
- Polycotylid and elasmosaurid plesiosaurs inhabited the Kristianstad Basin during Late Cretaceous (uppermost lower Campanian Belemnellocamax mammillatus
zone) around 80 million years ago. The setting represents one of the most famous Mesozoic fossil sites in Scandinavia. The Kristianstad Basin fossils are generally fragmentary and isolated due to high-energy environments in a protected shallow inner shelf bay with limited mixing from other water bodies.
This study includes an isolated plesiosaurian propodial (R2008) from Ivö Klack, currently housed in the Natural History Museum of Stockholm. As preserved, the propodial measures 109 mm in length, 38 mm in width at the proximal shaft and 68 mm in the distal expanded part. A... (More) - Polycotylid and elasmosaurid plesiosaurs inhabited the Kristianstad Basin during Late Cretaceous (uppermost lower Campanian Belemnellocamax mammillatus
zone) around 80 million years ago. The setting represents one of the most famous Mesozoic fossil sites in Scandinavia. The Kristianstad Basin fossils are generally fragmentary and isolated due to high-energy environments in a protected shallow inner shelf bay with limited mixing from other water bodies.
This study includes an isolated plesiosaurian propodial (R2008) from Ivö Klack, currently housed in the Natural History Museum of Stockholm. As preserved, the propodial measures 109 mm in length, 38 mm in width at the proximal shaft and 68 mm in the distal expanded part. A foramen is visible on the posterior surface of the shaft.
We used X-ray microtomography to investigate inner bone structure and bone histology of the specimen. The method is non-destructive and provides a prime alternative to conventional thin sections. In addition to visualization through arbitrary 2D slicing of the 3D volume, image analysis was used to digitally segment hollow vascular canals. The internal vascular network and the foramen of the external surface were then visualized in 3D.
Virtual longitudinal sections of R2008 display cancellous bone in a fan-like shape, emerging from the medullary cavity at the center of the specimen. The cancellous bone is surrounded by denser compact bone, in turn displaying a series of at least 10 lines of arrested growth (LAGs).
Vascular canals are traceable throughout the cancellous bone, with a few large vessels at the center, branching into a multitude of smaller vessels at both the proximal and distal ends of the propodial. Our 3D model of the vascular canals provides a detailed overview of the nutrient distribution network, giving insight into the pattern of bone growth.
We found that the method is valuable for highlighting features such as LAGs in compact bone, the contacts between compact and cancellous bone, and the network of vascular canals, while avoiding destructive sectioning of the sample. Use of this methodology is recommended as an alternative for exploring bone histology of fossil specimens where the integrity of the sample needs to be preserved. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Polycotylid and elasmosaurid plesiosaurs inhabited the Kristianstad Basin during Late Cretaceous (uppermost lower Campanian Belemnellocamax mammillatus
zone) around 80 million years ago. The setting represents one of the most famous Mesozoic fossil sites in Scandinavia. The Kristianstad Basin fossils are generally fragmentary and isolated due to high-energy environments in a protected shallow inner shelf bay with limited mixing from other water bodies.
This study includes an isolated plesiosaurian propodial (R2008) from Ivö Klack, currently housed in the Natural History Museum of Stockholm. As preserved, the propodial measures 109 mm in length, 38 mm in width at the proximal shaft and 68 mm in the distal expanded part.... (More) - Polycotylid and elasmosaurid plesiosaurs inhabited the Kristianstad Basin during Late Cretaceous (uppermost lower Campanian Belemnellocamax mammillatus
zone) around 80 million years ago. The setting represents one of the most famous Mesozoic fossil sites in Scandinavia. The Kristianstad Basin fossils are generally fragmentary and isolated due to high-energy environments in a protected shallow inner shelf bay with limited mixing from other water bodies.
This study includes an isolated plesiosaurian propodial (R2008) from Ivö Klack, currently housed in the Natural History Museum of Stockholm. As preserved, the propodial measures 109 mm in length, 38 mm in width at the proximal shaft and 68 mm in the distal expanded part. A foramen is visible on the posterior surface of the shaft.
We used X-ray microtomography to investigate inner bone structure and bone histology of the specimen. The method is non-destructive and provides a prime alternative to conventional thin sections. In addition to visualization through arbitrary 2D slicing of the 3D volume, image analysis was used to digitally segment hollow vascular canals. The internal vascular network and the foramen of the external surface were then visualized in 3D.
Virtual longitudinal sections of R2008 display cancellous bone in a fan-like shape, emerging from the medullary cavity at the center of the specimen. The cancellous bone is surrounded by denser compact bone, in turn displaying a series of at least 10 lines of arrested growth (LAGs).
Vascular canals are traceable throughout the cancellous bone, with a few large vessels at the center, branching into a multitude of smaller vessels at both the proximal and distal ends of the propodial. Our 3D model of the vascular canals provides a detailed overview of the nutrient distribution network, giving insight into the pattern of bone growth.
We found that the method is valuable for highlighting features such as LAGs in compact bone, the contacts between compact and cancellous bone, and the network of vascular canals, while avoiding destructive sectioning of the sample. Use of this methodology is recommended as an alternative for exploring bone histology of fossil specimens where the integrity of the sample needs to be preserved. (Less)
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https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/79304ec5-5bb0-4d96-bc7a-6f61c9dba101
- author
- Einarsson, Elisabeth ; Johansson, Sara LU and Gren, Johan LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023-10-26
- type
- Contribution to conference
- publication status
- published
- subject
- conference name
- 83rd Annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
- conference dates
- 2023-10-26 - 2023-10-29
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 79304ec5-5bb0-4d96-bc7a-6f61c9dba101
- date added to LUP
- 2023-11-01 11:27:38
- date last changed
- 2023-11-30 09:09:43
@misc{79304ec5-5bb0-4d96-bc7a-6f61c9dba101,
abstract = {{Polycotylid and elasmosaurid plesiosaurs inhabited the Kristianstad Basin during Late Cretaceous (uppermost lower Campanian Belemnellocamax mammillatus<br/>zone) around 80 million years ago. The setting represents one of the most famous Mesozoic fossil sites in Scandinavia. The Kristianstad Basin fossils are generally fragmentary and isolated due to high-energy environments in a protected shallow inner shelf bay with limited mixing from other water bodies.<br/><br/>This study includes an isolated plesiosaurian propodial (R2008) from Ivö Klack, currently housed in the Natural History Museum of Stockholm. As preserved, the propodial measures 109 mm in length, 38 mm in width at the proximal shaft and 68 mm in the distal expanded part. A foramen is visible on the posterior surface of the shaft.<br/><br/>We used X-ray microtomography to investigate inner bone structure and bone histology of the specimen. The method is non-destructive and provides a prime alternative to conventional thin sections. In addition to visualization through arbitrary 2D slicing of the 3D volume, image analysis was used to digitally segment hollow vascular canals. The internal vascular network and the foramen of the external surface were then visualized in 3D.<br/><br/>Virtual longitudinal sections of R2008 display cancellous bone in a fan-like shape, emerging from the medullary cavity at the center of the specimen. The cancellous bone is surrounded by denser compact bone, in turn displaying a series of at least 10 lines of arrested growth (LAGs).<br/><br/>Vascular canals are traceable throughout the cancellous bone, with a few large vessels at the center, branching into a multitude of smaller vessels at both the proximal and distal ends of the propodial. Our 3D model of the vascular canals provides a detailed overview of the nutrient distribution network, giving insight into the pattern of bone growth.<br/><br/>We found that the method is valuable for highlighting features such as LAGs in compact bone, the contacts between compact and cancellous bone, and the network of vascular canals, while avoiding destructive sectioning of the sample. Use of this methodology is recommended as an alternative for exploring bone histology of fossil specimens where the integrity of the sample needs to be preserved.}},
author = {{Einarsson, Elisabeth and Johansson, Sara and Gren, Johan}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{10}},
title = {{X-ray microtomography and 3D visualization of a plesiosaur propodial (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) from the Late Cretaceous of southern Sweden provides insights in bone histology, bone microstructures, and bone growth.}},
year = {{2023}},
}