Why are some species more commonly afflicted by arthritis than others? A comparative study of spondyloarthropathy in primates and carnivores
Title
Why are some species more commonly afflicted by arthritis than others? A comparative study of spondyloarthropathy in primates and carnivores
Creator
Nunn C L; Rothschild B; Gittleman J L
Publisher
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
Date
2007
2007-03
Description
Spondyloarthropathy is a painful arthritic affliction of humans that also occurs in wild mammals. Important questions remain concerning the underlying causes of spondyloarthropathy in mammals, particularly regarding whether it is infectious in origin or driven by genetic predisposition and environmental stressors. Moreover, spondyloarthropathy has negative effects on host fitness, leading to potential conservation concerns if it impacts threatened species. Using a comparative data set on the prevalence of joint disease in 34 primate species and 100 carnivore species, we tested predictions involving the epidemiological correlates of spondyloarthropathy in wild mammals. Analyses revealed that 5.6% of primates and 3.6% of carnivores exhibited signs of spondyloarthropathy, with maximum incidence as high as 22% in great apes and 27% in bears. We tested whether prevalence of spondyloarthropathy increases with population density and group size, greater contact with soil, a slower host life history, increased ranging, dietary factors and body mass. We found general support for an effect of body mass, with larger bodied primates and carnivores exhibiting a higher prevalence of spondyloarthropathy. In addition, more threatened species experienced higher rates of spondyloarthropathy, with this association influenced by body mass and phylogeny. The effect of body mass could reflect that larger animals are exposed to more pathogens through greater consumption of resources, or that joints of larger bodied mammals experience greater biomechanical stresses, resulting in inflammation and activation of local joint infections.
Subject
ankylosing spondylitis; arthritis; body size; carnivores; comparative study; disease; disease risk; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Evolutionary Biology; extinction; Genetics &; gorilla-gorilla; group-size; Heredity; inflammatory arthritis; IUCN threat status; joint; museum specimens; population-density; primates; reactive arthritis; rheumatoid-arthritis; risk; spondyloarthropathy
Identifier
Format
Journal Article
URL Address
Search for Full-text
Users with a NEOMED Library login can search for full-text journal articles at the following url: https://libraryguides.neomed.edu/home
Rights
Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
Pages
460-470
Issue
2
Volume
20
Citation
Nunn C L; Rothschild B; Gittleman J L, “Why are some species more commonly afflicted by arthritis than others? A comparative study of spondyloarthropathy in primates and carnivores,” NEOMED Bibliography Database, accessed April 26, 2024, https://neomed.omeka.net/items/show/6672.