ANTIQUITY OF ARTHRITIS - SPONDYLOARTHROPATHY IDENTIFIED IN THE PALEOCENE OF NORTH-AMERICA

Objective Determination of the antiquity of spondyloarthropathy by exa mining rite fossil record. Methods Fossil collections from the Paleoce ne and Eocene of North America were systematically examined to determi ne the occurrence and population frequency of spondyloarthropathy. Res ults Spondyloarthropathy was present in three mammalian orders rioted at 30 to 50 million years. The frequency was 13% to 50% in the affecte d genera. Conclusions Erosive arthritis of the spondyloarthropathy var iety is now documented to have originated at least 40 million years ag o in the Paleocene.