title: Epidemiologic assessment of trauma-independent skeletal pathology in non-passerine birds from museum collections.
abstract: Systematic survey of mammalian skeletons has revealed patterns of disease reproducible over geologic time. Systematic examination of non-passerine bird skeletons also reveals patterns of disease and identifies those disorders amenable to epidemiologic assessment. Neoplasia, infection, osteochondromatosis and gout are extremely rare, precluding phylogenetic comparisons--at least those based on macroscopic examination of skeletons. Osteoarthritis, paradoxically, is identified at sufficient population frequency for meaningful investigation.
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Center of Northeast Ohio, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Youngstown, OH 44512, USA. bmr@neoucom.edu
authors.forename: Bruce M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Rothschild
authors.forename: Robin K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Panza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001168:Arthritis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D001717:Birds / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000473:pathology*