Medical CT scanning and the study of hidden oral pathologies in fossil carnivores

Skeletal pathologies and oral disease are largely unexplored in fossil carnivores. Dental abnormalities, fractures, trauma, supernumerary teeth, tumours, periodontitis, and other bacterial infections are some of the diseases that leave traces on fossilized skulls, but their identification is not always possible by external observation on the specimen. Moreover a large number of pathologies are “hidden”, partially or completely invisible on the external surface of the bones because their development took place within the bones. The degree and the type of fossilization, the state of preservation and the fossil size are just a few other factors that influence the analysis of these structures. Digital scanning techniques are useful to solve such difficulties. X-ray study can provide valuable information on bone and teeth diseases, by allowing the visualization of the internal structure of the fossil bones, without the alteration and/or destruction of the specimen. Many aspects of the life of carnivores are regulated by their health condition, and in particular by the teeth and jaws conditions, individuals with evident disability due to the pathology and injuries are not able to perform properly some basic activities, such as foraging and defence. This paper presents new methods of non-invasive analysis to identify and understand oral pathologies in fossil carnivores. They can be further explored to obtain detailed palaeoecological reconstructions of their mode of life.