Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 45(special issue) 2002

Issue:

VOL 45(special issue) 2002

Keywords:

Gallus, chicken, osteopetrosis, Roman, leucosis virus

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Ancient avian osteopetrosis: the current state of knowledge

• Don BROTHWELL

Abstract:

The avian leucosis group are caused by viruses which have been viewed seriously by the poultry industry, due to the losses caused. In ancient remains, the virus may also produce pathognomonic changes to the long bones. The dense bone growth, called osteopetrosis, results eventually in massive thickening of long bone surfaces and infilling (“occlusion”) of the marrow cavity. In birds, bone expansion of the diaphysis is the result of excessive osteoblast proliferation and bone growth. No other bird pathology results in such bone expansion, and it should not be difficult to discriminate between avian osteopetrosis and other osteitis or trauma. This paper therefore calls attention to the exciting prospects for building up an epidemiological picture of an ancient bird disease. As a contribution to the palaeo-epidemiology of this disease, particular attention will be given to chicken populations from British archaeological sites.