Scientists discover 75-million-year-old blood in dinosaur fossils
Yes, you read that right — dinosaur blood.
A team of scientists at London's Natural History Museum examined eight fossils from the museum's collection, and they reached a shocking discovery: The fossils contained evidence of ancient dinosaur red blood cells and proteins.
The findings, described in the journal Nature Communications, suggest that the preservation of soft tissues inside fossils could be more common than was previously believed, Science magazine explains. Scientists have discovered what they believed were cellular tissues inside dinosaur bones in the past, but the previous findings weren't confirmed. The newly discovered blood is more reliable than past studies, because the scientists used a new method, called a "focused ion beam," to locate the proteins.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Susannah Maidment, one of the paleontologists behind the study, told Science that finding the soft tissue was "completely unexpected." Still, some experts who weren't involved in the research are skeptical about the find, and Maidment's team hopes to do further research to sequence the amino acids in the protein fragments they discovered. The research could help scientists understand how dinosaur proteins are different from those of modern reptiles.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
-
'Empowered' Steve Bannon released from prison
Speed Read Bannon was set free a week before Election Day and quickly returned to his right-wing podcast to promote Trump
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Who will be the next James Bond?
In the Spotlight Despite previous rumours of an offer being made, a replacement for Daniel Craig seems far from confirmed
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
The GOP is renewing its focus on the abortion pill
In the Spotlight Three Republican-led states are taking another crack at suing the FDA over the abortion pill, mifepristone
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
NASA's Europa Clipper blasts off, seeking an ocean
Speed Read The ship is headed toward Jupiter on a yearslong journey
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Detailed map of fly's brain holds clues to human mind
Speed Read This remarkable fruit fly brain analysis will aid in future human brain research
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Blind people will listen to next week's total eclipse
Speed Read While they can't see the event, they can hear it with a device that translates the sky's brightness into music
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Melting polar ice is messing with global timekeeping
Speed Read Ice loss caused by climate change is slowing the Earth's rotation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
An amphibian that produces milk?
speed read Caecilians, worm-like amphibians that live underground, produce a milk-like substance for their hatchlings
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jupiter's Europa has less oxygen than hoped
speed read Scientists say this makes it less likely that Jupiter's moon harbors life
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Why February 29 is a leap day
Speed Read It all started with Julius Caesar
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US spacecraft nearing first private lunar landing
Speed Read If touchdown is successful, it will be the first U.S. mission to the moon since 1972
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published