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Heme compounds in dinosaur trabecular bone

M H Schweitzer1, M Marshall, K Carron

  • 1Department of Biology and Museum of the Rockies, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|June 10, 1997
PubMed
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Evidence suggests preserved blood-derived hemoglobin compounds in Tyrannosaurus rex tissues. Nuclear magnetic resonance, spectroscopy, and immunological assays support the presence of heme and hemoglobin breakdown products in dinosaur fossils.

Area of Science:

  • Paleontology
  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • The presence of biomolecules in dinosaur fossils is a subject of ongoing research.
  • Hemoglobin is a crucial protein for oxygen transport in vertebrates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential presence of heme-containing compounds and hemoglobin breakdown products in Tyrannosaurus rex tissues.
  • To provide molecular evidence for the preservation of blood components in dinosaur fossils.

Main Methods:

  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectroscopy.
  • UV/visible spectroscopy and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).
  • Resonance Raman spectroscopy and immunological assays using antisera against dinosaurian tissue extracts.

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Main Results:

  • NMR and ESR signatures indicated the presence of a paramagnetic compound consistent with heme.
  • Spectroscopic data (UV/vis, HPLC) showed absorbance characteristic of heme.
  • Resonance Raman profiles suggested a modified heme structure.
  • Immunological assays revealed positive reactions with avian and mammalian hemoglobins.

Conclusions:

  • Multiple lines of evidence support the existence of heme and/or hemoglobin breakdown products in Tyrannosaurus rex trabecular tissues.
  • The most plausible explanation is the preservation of blood-derived hemoglobin compounds within the dinosaurian tissues.