Scientists find evidence of red blood cells in 115-million-year-old dinosaur fossil
Researchers at Curtin University identified preserved blood-related molecules and collagen in a dinosaur bone from Brazil.
A team of scientists led by Curtin University has reported finding evidence of red blood cell-like structures and collagen amino acids in a 115-million-year-old dinosaur fossil, according to the Times of India.
The researchers examined limb bones from Aratasaurus museunacionali, a theropod dinosaur that lived in present-day northeastern Brazil. The fossil was originally discovered in a Brazilian mine in 2008.
Using advanced chemical and imaging techniques, the team identified heme B and its altered forms within the vascular canals of the bones. They also found elements including iron, nitrogen and carbon, alongside the mineral hausmannite.
The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), suggests that the mineral hausmannite may have acted as a protective casing to stabilise the microscopic structures.
Researchers believe the preservation may have been aided by the dinosaur being rapidly buried in a low-oxygen environment containing microbial mats, which could have slowed decomposition.
The discovery of these blood-derived molecules and collagen-related material offers a new way for scientists to investigate ancient biological material beyond skeletal remains.