Found traces of DNA in fossil dinosaur skulls

Researchers have found DNA traces inside a fossilized dinosaur skull.

Published research shows traces of cartilage cells, chromosomes, and DNA preserved in the fossils of a 75 million year old platypus, called Hypacrosaurus . The two cartilage cells were thought to be linked to each other and the same material as the nucleus was also discovered.

Image depicting the Hypacrosaurus dinosaur.

"I couldn't believe it, my heart almost stopped ," said the study's lead author, Alida Bailleul.

In their study, the researchers claimed they found an organic matrix around fossilized cartilage cells that respond to Collagen I antibodies, described as the dominant protein in cartilage at all. vertebrates.

"This test supports the presence of the original cartilage protein residue in this dinosaur," said the study's co-author, Mary Schweitzer.

Evan Saitta, a researcher from the Integrated Research Center at the Museum of Natural History in Chicago, said that organic material was discovered to be understood as one of the least stable biological molecules in the time. long time. Under the heat of long time and under the heat of deep burial during fossilization. However, Saitta, who was not involved in the study, acknowledged the age of the samples as "prominent".

So far, the oldest DNA sample found is from a 700,000-year-old horse and the oldest protein sample discovered to date is from an 3.8 million-year-old ostrich egg.

Researchers have also recently discovered what is believed to be the first extraterrestrial protein in an asteroid to fall to Earth 30 years ago.