Detection of soft tissues (e.g., proteins) in fossil bones is a growing field of study and a new study led by University of Liverpool paleontologists contributes to the list of such findings. Using a combination of three independent analytical techniques, the authors show that collagenous protein remnants in some dinosaur bones are original to the fossils.
Tuinstra et al. used attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-FTIR and cross-polarized light microscopy (XPol) supplemented by two mass spectrometry (MS) techniques to elucidate the question of collagen endogeneity in Edmontosaurus sp. fossil bone. Image credit: Tuinstra et al., doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c03115.
In their study, University of Liverpool’s Professor Steve Taylor and his colleagues examined a 22-kg hip bone of the duck-billed herbivorous dinosaur Edmontosaurus.
The specimen was excavated from the Late Cretaceous zone of the Hell Creek Formation in Harding County, South Dakota, the United States.
Using advanced mass spectrometry and other techniques, the paleontologists identified preserved collagen remnants in the fossil bone.
“This research shows beyond doubt that organic biomolecules, such as proteins like collagen, appear to be present in some fossils,” Professor Taylor said.
“Our results have far-reaching implications. Firstly, it refutes the hypothesis that any organics found in fossils must result from contamination.”
“Secondly, it suggests that cross-polarized light microscopy images of fossil bones, collected for a century, should be revisited.”
“These images may reveal intact patches of bone collagen, potentially offering a ready-made trove of fossil candidates for further protein analysis.”
“This could unlock new insights into dinosaurs — for example revealing connections between dinosaur species that remain unknown.”
“Lastly, the findings inform the intriguing mystery of how these proteins have managed to persist in fossils for so long.”
“The research not only appears to resolve a long-standing scientific debate but also opens further avenues for studying ancient life, offering a glimpse into the biochemical preservation of fossils of extinct creatures.”
The team’s results were published on January 17 in the journal Analytical Chemistry.
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Lucien Tuinstra et al. Evidence for Endogenous Collagen in Edmontosaurus Fossil Bone. Anal. Chem, published online January 17, 2025; doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c03115