Australian scientists detect hemoglobin-derived molecules in 115 million-year-old Brazilian fossil
Technology
Australian researchers have uncovered real traces of dinosaur blood for the first time, spotting hemoglobin-derived molecules inside a 115-million-year-old fossil from Brazil.
Published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, this discovery could totally change how we study ancient life and even how we look for signs of life beyond Earth.
Hausmannite preserved heme in theropod fossil
The fossil, from a young theropod dinosaur, had heme preserved thanks to a special mineral called hausmannite that helped maintain its structure intact.
Not only does this challenge what scientists thought about how long biomolecules can survive, but it also gives us new clues about dinosaur biology and evolution.
Kliti Grice put it, "This really is a landmark discovery."