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Science via AP
These undated photos provided by the journal Science show demineralized fragments of tissues lining the marrow cavity of a Tyrannosaurus rex femur. The find included what appear to be blood vessels, and possibly even cells.
Scientists have discovered how bits of the protein collagen from dinosaurs that died millions of years ago might have survived in fossilized bones.
The new research shows the rope-like connective tissue is twisted in such a way that certain parts are shielded from biological degradation and could survive for millions of years.
James San Antonio, a biochemist at Orthovita, a medical-implant manufacturer, and colleagues looked at bits of collagen extracted from dinosaur bones and compared them to where those bits show up in collagen fibers of rats and humans.
They found that all 11 pieces analyzed came from the innermost parts of the fibers where they would have been protected from degradation by enzymes and the elements.
What's more, several of the molecules contain amino acids that are water-hating and contain few acidic amino acids, which make them less vulnerable to degradation by enzymes and water.
"We were rather pleasantly surprised and taken aback," Orgel told ScienceNews, adding that if any molecules were to survive millions of years, it would be the sheltered kinds they observed.
If so, the finding helps explain how researchers were able to recover and sequence soft tissue from a Tyrannosaurus rex and a duck-billed Hadrosaur.
Those studies are controversial since many scientists believe there's no way soft tissue could survive millions of years and thus what has been found and sequenced is actually contamination from more recent times.
The new finding, reported in PLoS One, has yet to convince the skeptics.
"I'm an old protein cynic," Matthew Collins of the University of York in England, told ScienceNews. "Obviously, we would like to see a lot of samples from lots of labs. I'm not convinced yet."
The study was based on data from the initial reports. And that data, geneticist Stephen Salzberg at the University of Maryland has pointed out in a comment at PLoS One "are contaminants from modern species," notes Nature News.
The new study's authors refute the criticism, saying that if the fibers were contaminants, they should be from random parts of the structure. All the bits they found were from the most protected regions.
So, the controversy remains, but the new study does show how these proteins could survive millions of years. And if they did, scientists believe they'll be able to gain insight on how dinosaurs lived.
More on dinosaur proteins:
- T. rex analysis supports dino-bird link
- Proteins could reveal new dinosaur secrets
- Gunk in T. rex fossil confirms dino-bird lineage
- Scientists recover T. rex soft tissue
- Dinosaur mummy reveals organic molecules
John Roach is a contributing writer for msnbc.com. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by hitting the "like" button on the Cosmic Log Facebook page or following msnbc.com's science editor, Alan Boyle, on Twitter (@b0yle).
Leave a Comment:
Astounding! Jurassic Park tickets here! Get your tickets! Why I bet it would be better and more entertaining than Disney or our current political system.
It would be the perfect solution to the current government leadership and a warning to the next group of DC leadership that if they didn't do their job right, they would be tomorrow's meal. ;)
I'd pay to see living dinosaurs from that period. If it really is possible to sequence the entire genetic code from a long dead dino, I suggest we start out by bringing back to life something not meat eating, and small.
I would also like to see the dodo brought back and the American mastodon reborn. I've actually helped dig up a mastodon, so I'm bias in favor of them. Unfortunately, I still have my doubts as to if this is possible. But I can dream.
With all of the exciting discoveries of the past couple of decades, I am sure it will be not be if, but when a cloned Mammoth, or Mastodon happens. Everytime we think we have seen the limits of what we believe , or dream is possible those barriers are broken. It will take place so continue dreaming in the mean time.
This is old news
It is very hard to be convinced of this. It walks the same line as the arsenic eating bacteria.
Fragments of proteins are a far cry from actual DNA. However, hypothetically if the structure of a complete protein can be determined from the fragments, the DNA sequence to make the protein could be synthesized. If the DNA from enough living dinosaurs (birds) is sequenced, a basal genome could be constructed. The gaps (huge) in this genome could at least be partially filled by crocodile DNA (closest non-dinosaur relative), the synthesized DNA from protein structures, and a whole lot of guess and luck. The resulting creature would not actually be a non-avian dinosaur, but rather a kind of facsimile. Since the Jurassic ended some 135 million years ago, soft tissue from that time is much less likely to have survived. The dinosaur soft tissue in question comes from the late Cretaceous, about 70 million years ago. Thus the park should be called "Cretaceous Park".
"The gaps (huge) in this genome could at least be partially filled by crocodile DNA (closest non-dinosaur relative)"
Were they to fill the gaps, it would most likely come from bird DNA as aves is the closest living class of relatives to theropod dinosaurs such as T Rex.
Sailcat you sound so much like Mr.DNA minus the texan accent haha. Yes sounds plausible.
It's hard to type with a proper Texan twang, isn't it? lol
Yep. haha. xD
Sailcat,
The basal genome would be bird DNA. As I wrote,"...DNA from enough living dinosaurs (birds) is sequenced, a basal genome could be constructed."
And I was addressing the specific statement that I quoted in my comments.
The basic genome would be from bird DNA. Any gaps in this genome could not come from bird DNA as by definition the basal bird DNA contains the gaps! The gaps in the entire sequence thus have to be filled by non-avian (non-bird) DNA. Some could be from DNA artificially synthesized that create dinosaur proteins as derived from fossils. Some could come from the next closest dinosaur relatives, crocodiles. The rest would be from a whole lot of luck and guess.
According to "creationists" the earth is only a few thousands years old. Protected protein should be able to survive that long - even if the dinos didn't make it to Noah's ark ; )
correct bill, but secular scientists will never accept that so they have to continue on to figure out how they have soft tissue from a dino, it wont even come to their mind that maybe this bone is from a dino that died much more recently than 60 million years ago
Pally - But how does creationist explain the K-T boundary in the geologic record, with human remains above the line only and dinosaur only remains below?
TReed - Great question. It's not very easy to answer on a short post. This is the best answer I know of. Most fossils are not dinosaurs rather marine life, these fossils (from a creationist perspective of the evidence) were created from the world wide flood. The flood was judgement from God because of man's wickedness at the time.
Anyway, there are various theories as to why humans are not found with dinos. One is that humans are simply smarter and would be able to last longer...find higher ground/cling on to floating debris before eventually perishing (and not fossilize at all, as fossilization is a rare event). Another is that the human population is not known, and could have been quite small. Another idea is that humans tend to live together in high density pockets, and the population of people that did fossilize may not have been found yet. One more thought is, perhaps dinos and humans didn't live close together, most people now adays try and keep predators as far away as possible from there homes, however, sometimes this is not possible.
All in all in relation to this article, there apparently is soft tissue on this dino bone, which suggests that it died more recently than 60 million years ago. I understand that secular scientists are going to follow their theory though and try their best to unlock the mystery as to how this happens in the old earth timeframe.
Pally
When "secular scientists" find evidence for extraterrestrials, what will your creationist explanation be for that? Is there a separate bible for this information? I'm pretty sure, "And God created the Heavens and the Earth" is not a sufficient enough scientific explanation for life beyond our tiny Earth.
More importantly. If we were to find intelligent life (that which is leaps and bounds ahead of us both intellectually and spiritually). What will you say to these entities? Are you to preach the gospel to them? Are you to explain Jesus' saving grace?
Pally, your world view is like putting a grain of sand under a microscope. It's incredibly small (and of one book.)
The world is big my friend. In deed, the universe ... is rather large.
Science is beyond your little faith. And, you are more than welcome to the freedom of this faith. But, when you try and fog the beauties of science with literal interpretations of your tiny book. I'm afraid some will find offense to that. Please keep that where it belongs, and not on a serious science thread.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/space/how-big-universe.html
How big is space? The quote leaves some room to describe how big, big is. LOL. Do you know if they are receiving science data from the AMS-02 unit on ISS? I haven't seen anything yet.
Yes, the AMS has been pumping terabytes of data, but it's being compiled and evaluated. I wouldn't expect to hear much for at least 6 months.
yum , dinosaur steaks .
Tastes like chicken?
Yes. I six million-year-old chicken. LOL
if those things are ever brought back to life ala jurassic park...i have a feeling WE would the steaks....
i cannot wait to ride a T-Rex to work.
Go ahead. Coast through life.
But one thing in life is certain:
Someday, someone will clone a dinosaur.
And that someone will be an expert in a million things that you think are boring right now.
And if you don’t study, and work, and think…
One day you’ll watch that person saddle up, put on a cowboy hat, and ride a T. Rex…
From a monitor…
Until your boss asks you why you’re wasting company time.
(Unknown)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JzIwv_oCcmc/TKON2VBf3SI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/Hb3gv-EXpp8/s1600/napdino.jpg
I want lizards! Big, frakkin' lizards! With lotsa teeth! Good hunting and, besides, it probably DOES taste like chicken. Kentucky Fried Allosaurus, anyone?
Secular Science - oxymoron. Scary how obtuse people can be
I would expect that dinosaur claws would have some protected tissues left.