One of the oldest diseases to haunt our species — the lung infection known as pneumonia — is actually a lot older. Evidence of pneumonia, and possible tuberculosis, has turned up in a marine reptile that’s 245 million years old.
Researchers analyzed a fragmentary specimen of “Proneusticosasiacus*, a Middle Triassic marine reptile, that had anomalies on several ribs. Specifically, they found a bunch of blebs, or protrusions. Using X-ray microtomography, the team took a closer look.
