Abstract Research in the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Maevarano Formation of northwestern Madagascar has yielded numerous individuals of the abelisaurid theropod Majungasaurus crenatissimus. The number of individuals and quality of preservation allow for a detailed assessment of pathology in this species. A previous survey of Majungasaurus material collected prior to 2005 indicated assorted types of potential infectious and traumatic etiologies. Ongoing research on materials recovered since 2005 provide many additional opportunities to better characterize the anatomy and paleopathology in Majungasaurus. In particular, an almost complete skeleton of a single individual (FMNH PR 2836) preserves evidence of pre-mortem pathologies on multiple bones, including elements of the face and lower jaw, vertebrae, forelimb, ribs and gastralia. Analyses of the pathologies suggest infection of the jugal and quadratojugal, healed fractures and hypertrophic bone growth on several dorsal ribs and a gastralium, septic arthritis in the left forelimb, and evidence of healed/partially healed tooth marks on one cervical vertebra. The injuries appear to be the result of multiple non-fatal events experienced during the life of the individual, rather than a single traumatic incident. Our survey of Majungasaurus indicates most well preserved individuals lack observable pathology, whereas select individuals possess multiple pathologies, a general pattern also noted in other large, nonavian theropods. Such a pattern may result from a snowball effect wherein one injury or infection increases the likelihood of additional maladies due to functional impairment or a compromised immune system in an individual once an initial injury has occurred.

中文翻译：

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Majungasaurus crenatissimus (Theropoda: Abelisauridae) 近乎完整骨骼的古病理学

摘要 对马达加斯加西北部上白垩统（马斯特里赫特）Maevarano 组的研究已经产生了许多阿贝力龙兽脚类恐龙 Majungasaurus crenatissimus 的个体。个体数量和保存质量允许对该物种的病理学进行详细评估。先前对 2005 年之前收集的 Majungasaurus 材料的调查表明，潜在的传染性和创伤性病因有多种类型。对自 2005 年以来回收材料的持续研究为更好地表征 Majungasaurus 的解剖学和古病理学提供了许多额外的机会。特别是，几乎完整的单个个体骨骼 (FMNH PR 2836) 保留了多个骨骼的死前病理证据，包括面部和下颌、椎骨、前肢、肋骨和胃的元素。病理分析表明，颈椎和四肢颈椎感染，几根背肋骨和胃骨上的愈合骨折和肥厚性骨生长，左前肢的化脓性关节炎，以及一个颈椎上有愈合/部分愈合的牙痕的证据。这些伤害似乎是个人一生中经历的多次非致命事件的结果，而不是单一的创伤事件。我们对 Majungasaurus 的调查表明，大多数保存完好的个体缺乏可观察到的病理，而特定个体具有多种病理，其他大型非鸟类兽脚亚目恐龙也有这种普遍模式。