. 24/7 Space News .
EARLY EARTH
Tumor found in fossil of 255 million-year-old mammal predecessor
by Brooks Hays
Seattle (UPI) Dec 8, 2016


disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only

Researchers from the University of Washington have discovered the earliest evidence of a compound odontoma, a benign tumor made up of tiny tooth-like structures typically found growing in the gums.

Odontoma -- which are painful and typically surgically removed from the mouths of humans. -- are well known among mammals. Until now, however, the earliest evidence of the benign tumor came from ice age fossils.

The newest odontoma evidence was discovered in the 255 million-year-old lower jaw fossil of a gorgonopsid, a mammal predecessor. Scientists recalled the discovery in a new paper, published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association Oncology.

"Until now, the earliest known occurrence of this tumor was about one million years ago, in fossil mammals," Judy Skog, program director in the National Science Foundation's Division of Earth Sciences, said in a news release. "The discovery suggests that the suspected cause of an odontoma isn't tied solely to traits in modern species, as had been thought."

Gorgonopsians fit beneath the umbrella of a larger group of animals called synapsids. Today, the only living synapsids are mammals.

"To understand when and how our mammalian features evolved, we have to study fossils of synapsids like the gorgonopsians," explained Megan Whitney, lead author and UW biology graduate student.

Synapsids are sometimes called reptile-mammals, as they posses features unique to both animal groups. Whitney and fellow graduate student Larry Mose were trying to study the similarities among the teeth of gorgonopsians, reptiles and mammals when they discovered the toothy mass.

"At first we didn't know what to make of it," said Whitney. "But after some investigation we realized this gorgonopsian had what looks like a textbook compound odontoma."


Comment on this article using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
A histological thin section of the gorgonopsid lower jaw, taken near the top of the canine root. The dark area on the right is bone. The backward C-shaped structure on the left is the canine root. The cluster of small circles resemble miniature teeth, indicative of compound odontoma. Image courtesy Megan Whitney/Christian Sidor/University of Washington. Explore The Early Earth at TerraDaily.com






Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
EARLY EARTH
Fish fossils reveal how tails evolved, Penn professor finds
Philadelphia PA (SPX) Dec 07, 2016
Despite their obvious physical differences, elephants, lizards and trout all have something in common. They possess elongated, flexible structures at the rear of their bodies that we call tails. But a new study by a University of Pennsylvania paleobiologist reveals that the tails of fish and the tails of tetrapods, or four-limbed animals, are in fact entirely different structures, with different ... read more


EARLY EARTH
Iceland plays the tourism card, for better for worse

Cold plasma freshens up French fries

Space freighter burns up after launch to to ISS: Russia

Orbital ATK Ends 2016 with Three Successful Cargo Resupply Missions to ISS

EARLY EARTH
ULA receives $269m contract modification for launch vehicle production

Arianespace's Vega scores its eighth success in orbiting Gokturk-1 for Turkey

Russia seeks answers on ISS cargo ship crash

United Launch Alliance Launches Innovative "RocketBuilder" Website

EARLY EARTH
Swiss firm acquires Mars One private project

Europe okays 1.4 bn euros for Mars rover, ISS

Climate cycles may explain how running water carved Mars' surface features

NASA Radio on Europe's New Mars Orbiter Aces Relay Test

EARLY EARTH
Chinese missile giant seeks 20% of a satellite market

China-made satellites in high demand

Space exploration plans unveiled

China launches 4th data relay satellite

EARLY EARTH
LeoSat and Globalsat Group Sign Strategic Worldwide Agreement

India's Space Program Makes Steady Gains

ESA looks at how to catch a space entrepreneur

Thales and SENER to jointly supply optical payloads for space missions

EARLY EARTH
This is 'year zero' of a virtual reality revolution say filmmakers

Shape matters when light meets atom

Earth's 'technosphere' now weighs 30 trillion tons

New technology of ultrahigh density optical storage researched at Kazan University

EARLY EARTH
Could There Be Life in Pluto's Ocean?

Biologists watch speciation in a laboratory flask

Life before oxygen

Timing the shadow of a potentially habitable extrasolar planet

EARLY EARTH
New Perspective on How Pluto's "Icy Heart" Came to Be

New analysis adds to support for a subsurface ocean on Pluto

Pluto follows its cold, cold heart

New Analysis Supports Subsurface Ocean on Pluto









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.