Research Finds The Possibility That A Sick Dinosaur Had The First Cough Ever Recorded

Coughing a loogie up a nearly 4-meter-long neck takes a lot of power, but that's exactly what one dinosaur had to do. Paleontologists discovered unusual nodules on the neck of a 150-million-year-old sauropod, possibly indicating the first recorded dinosaur respiratory illness. Dolly, a long-necked dinosaur discovered in Montana more than 30 years ago, lived during the late Jurassic period.

When experts re-examined the bones lately, they discovered unusual broccoli-shaped bone clusters near the animal's air sacs. The spurs resembled those that appear in birds' lungs when they develop a respiratory infection, and computed tomography scans verified the theory, according to the researchers, who published their findings in reports this week.

The sickness was thought to be related to aspergillosis, a disease produced by inhaling mould that may kill modern birds. They believe that while they don't know if the virus killed Dolly, the poor dinosaur would have been sick, coughing, and sniffling.