Ancient dinosaur bone reveals potential fossilized blood cells
Scientists have announced a remarkable discovery: what appear to be fossilized red blood cells and traces of heme, the molecule responsible for blood’s red color, within the bones of a dinosaur. The findings, stemming from the analysis of a small, meat-eating dinosaur called an Aratasaurus, which lived approximately 115 million years ago in what is now northeastern Brazil, are generating considerable excitement and debate within the scientific community.
Electron microscope imaging revealed small, round structures resembling red blood cells within channels that once contained blood vessels. Chemical tests further confirmed the presence of heme and its breakdown products, alongside traces of amino acids crucial for collagen formation.
“We are seeing a mineral and molecular echo of the dinosaur’s original biology,” stated Prof Kliti Grice of Curtin University in Western Australia, who led the research. “Fossilized red blood cells with distinct chemistry related to heme have never been found in situ in any fossil, let alone a dinosaur. This is a world first.”
The Aratasaurus fossil was unearthed in a mine in 2008 and has been housed at the National Museum of Brazil. Researchers believe a manganese compound called hausmannite may have played a role in preserving the delicate structures.
While the discovery is significant, some experts remain cautious. Prof Mary Schweitzer of North Carolina State University, known for her own work on dinosaur soft tissue, expressed reservations about the identification of the structures as red blood cells, noting the expected “nuclear bulge” was absent. However, she acknowledged the importance of the heme and collagen findings, emphasizing that conventional beliefs about the preservation of organic material are being challenged.
Prof Grice stressed the need for rigorous analysis and cautioned against expectations of finding intact DNA, stating, “The aim isn’t to find Jurassic Park DNA, it’s to determine how much genuine molecular information deep time can preserve.” She also highlighted the potential for similar discoveries within museum collections worldwide, urging further investigation of ancient fossils.
Source
“Fossilised red blood cells found in 115m-year-old dinosaur’s bone, say scientists”
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