New dinosaur tumour found, according to ScienceDaily 5 July 2016 and Scientific Reports, doi: 10.1038/srep29271. A group of scientists from USA, UK and Romania have studied the jaws of a small dinosaur named Telmatosaurus transsylvanicus, a type of hadrosaur, or “duck billed dinosaur”. As its species name suggests, it was found in Transylvania, in rocks of the Haţeg County Dinosaurs Geopark, dated as 67-69 million years ago.
The lower jaw had bony excrescence on the left side, which they studied using a CT scan. The researchers concluded the dinosaur had a tumour known as an ameloblastoma. This is a benign, i.e. non-cancerous, growth originating from tooth-forming cells. Although it is not cancer, it can weaken the bone, and if allowed to grow would cause pain and dysfunction. The jaw is quite small and the researchers suggest the dinosaur died before reaching adult size, even though the tumour would not have killed it.
The researchers suggest the facial deformity resulting from the tumour may have made it more likely to be attacked by predators. Zoltán Csiki-Sava, of University of Bucharest, explained: “We know from modern examples that predators often attack a member of the herd that looks a little different or is even slightly disabled by a disease. The tumour in this dinosaur had not developed to its full extent at the moment it died, but it could have indirectly contributed to its early demise”.
Other tumours have been found in dinosaur bones, but this is the first of this type of tumour to be found.
Editorial Comment: Now here is a challenge for those who call themselves Bible believing Christians, but believe that dinosaurs lived and died millions of years before human beings came into the world. It would make this discovery evidence of disease, suffering and death millions of years prior to man, which is simply not compatible with God’s statement that He made all things and everything He made, which has to include dinosaurs, was very good (Genesis 1:31).
The Bible clearly states that death, disease, suffering and struggle came into the world as a result of man’s sin and God’s judgement on man’s sin (Romans 5:12-21, and Romans 8:20-22). To be true to Scripture, you have to admit any dinosaurs found with tumours, arthritis, disease and traumatic damage, must have lived after Adam sinned, and therefore the rocks they are found in are not more than 60 million years old, but younger than Adam. Take note Moore College, John Walton, Alexander, Lennox, and Ravi, et. al. (Ref. reptiles, disease, neoplasm)
Evidence News vol. 16 No. 14
27 July 2016
Creation Research Australia