Osteological diseases in an extinct Notiomastodon (Mammalia, Proboscidea) population from the Late Pleistocene of Brazil

We performed a paleopathological and paleoepidemiological analysis for a Notiomastodon platensis population (47 individuals) from the Late Pleistocene of Brazil recovered from Quaternary sediments in Aguas de Araxa (QAA), which revealed three different osseous diseases: Schmorl's node, osteomyelitis and osteoarthritis. All diagnosed injuries were observed in adult individuals, with 6.3% of crude prevalence (3/47 individuals) and 10.3% age-specific prevalence (3/29 adults individuals). The lesions suggest a more stress of diseases in adult individuals than in young ones, which can be due to the characteristic of the populational structure (declining population). (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.