在Tyrannosaurus rex的软组织容器和细胞保存
Mary H Schweitzer1, Jennifer L Wittmeyer, John R Horner
1Department of Marine, Earth, Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. schweitzer@ncsu.edu
概括
来自Tyrannosaurus rex后肢的化石软组织显示保存的血管和细胞状结构. 这些恐龙软组织保留了一些原始的灵活性和弹性.
科学领域:
- 古生物学的古生物学
- 生物化学 生物化学
- 地质地质地质地质地质地
背景情况:
- 非鸟类恐龙的软组织的保存是罕见的,并引起了争论.
- 了解古代生物材料的分子和结构完整性对于古生物学至关重要.
研究的目的:
- 为了研究Tyrannosaurus rex后肢标本软组织的保存状态.
- 为了确定古老的软组织是否保留了原有的物理特性,如灵活性和弹性.
主要方法:
- 来自Tyrannosaurus rex (MOR 1125) 的后肢骨元素的脱矿化.
- 微观分析保存的软组织,包括血管和微观结构.
- 脱矿化骨基质的化学和物理性质评估.
主要成果:
- 在去矿物化后,透明,灵活,空洞的血管被揭示出来.
- 在血管内观察到具有细胞状形态的小圆形微观结构.
- 脱矿化骨基表现出具有弹性和弹性的纤维状区域.
结论:
- 泰兰诺萨鲁斯雷克斯的软组织可以保持原来的灵活性,弹性和弹性.
- 这一发现挑战了以前关于恐龙软组织完全降解的假设.
- 对恐龙软组织保存的进一步研究可以为古代生物学提供新的见解.
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