Arthritis through Geologic Time and its Environmental Implications

The geometric increase in prevalence of spondyloarthropathy through geologic and again in recent times was considered a possible indication of an as yet unknown organismal benefit. Spondyloarthropathy is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by sacroiliac or zygapophyseal joint erosions or fusion or vertebral bridging through the anulus fibrosus. First observed as isolated occurrencesin the Cretaceous, prevalences as high as 50% were noted in the North AmericanPaleocene. 

The affected groups in the Paleocene were evolutionary dead ends, a fate that could even be potentially attributed to this disease.The disease surfaced again in the North American Eocene in two evolutionary lines (Equidae and Rhinoceridae) and demonstrated increased population penetrance over geologic time. Now we find the identical scenario in Europe and Asia. Paleocene occurrence has been documented in a single individual from Asia, a member of the same family afflicted in the North American Eocene. Read more...............