Dinosaur Blood Found In Fossils For the First Time (popsci.com) 28
Researchers have confirmed the presence of intact biomolecules and mineralized red blood cells inside the 115-million-year-old fossilized bones of a juvenile Aratasaurus museunacionali from Brazil. The discovery challenges assumptions about how long blood-related biomolecules can survive and could help scientists study dinosaur metabolism, blood evolution and even how traces of ancient life might be preserved on other worlds. Popular Science reports: The evidence exists inside the fossilized limb bones of a juvenile Aratasaurus museunacionali. Discovered in 2008, A. museunacionali was an Early Cretaceous theropod that lived in present-day northeastern Brazil. The fossils suggest a dinosaur measuring over 10 feet long and weighing about 75 pounds, but given its young age, A. museunacionali likely grew even larger. After carefully examining thin slices of the fossils, paleontologists located the mineralized red blood cell molecular components, along with a complex manganese oxide called hausmannite. This material helped maintain the cellular structures of heme, a ring-shaped molecule that contains iron and binds many proteins, especially hemoglobin. The hausmannite also helped preserve additional biomolecules found in the blood, such as the amino acids in collagen. The study's authors theorize this level of preservation could only occur following a rapid burial in an environment that was rich in microbes, but low in oxygen at the same time. The findings have been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Skeletaurs (Score:3)
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By the power of Grayskull! So you're saying that Skeletor is a dino? That explains so much!
*mind blown*
is chick bongo hiring? (Score:1)
Or... (Score:1)
"and could help scientists study dinosaur metabolism, blood evolution and even how traces of ancient life might be preserved on other worlds. "
Screw that, get Sam Neill ready!
Re: (Score:3)
I have this idea for a theme park. (Score:3, Funny)
All we need is some dinosaur DNA.
What could go wrong?
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re: I have this idea for a theme park. (Score:1)
Why be a pessimist? Imagine what could go right: a battle for the planet between dinosaurs and AI-controlled robots would be awesome!
Re: (Score:2)
Time for some recipes to be revived (Score:1)
None of those cave drawings were ever done by cavewomen; it's all about hunting and thinning the herd. No Joy of oregano it's all violence from long ago.
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We know that for a fact? I know this sites audience skews older but this is ridiculous.
Also obligatory "8 spices? Some of these must be doubles." [youtube.com]
Dino blood (Score:2)
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They already exist [a-z-animals.com]. It's called falconry [n-a-f-a.com].
You know what would be a good idea! (Score:1)
Mindblowing (Score:2)
Re:Mindblowing (Score:4, Informative)
Don't misunderstand what was found. What they found was fossilized blood cells and veins. I doubt they'll even be able to detect the ribosomes, which were almost certainly there.
Yeah, is an extremely well preserved fossil, but don't overread it. It's really no more surprising than the detection of the colors of dinosaur feathers.
Re:Challenging assumptions (Score:5, Insightful)
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> I can't say I know how long ago dinos walked around since none of us were there
They're still here. It's just mammals now dominate the land so there are very few land based dinos.
Regardless, 115M vs 65M (which is probably what you're getting at) isn't a massive change in the "Holy shit that survived a long time" category of things, and honestly, if something can last 65M years, it wouldn't be a surprise that it can also last 115M, especially given the mechanism of survival described here.
Uhm... (Score:2)
Some sources are reporting that not all relevant scientists agree that it has been "confirmed".
At this point we should probably be saying "claimed".
Don't (Score:1)
We had like 10 movies about this, seriously.
Dr. Grant, my dear Dr. Sattler, (Score:2)
Welcome... to Jurassic Park.
Do you want dinos? (Score:2)