Traces of DNA may be hidden within 125-million-year-old dinosaur fossils – a shocking claim from a research team analyzing the fossil of a Caudipteryx.
According to Live Science, if confirmed, this would represent the oldest chromosomal material recorded in vertebrate fossils.
In a recent publication in the scientific journal Communications Biology, paleontologists compared the fossilized cartilage from the Caudipteryx species excavated in China with cells from modern chickens and found structures resembling DNA and protein strands.
The remarkably preserved remains of a Caudipteryx may still contain DNA – (Graphic image by ZHENG Qiuyang).
Paleontologist Alida Bailleul from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who led the research, stated that if any DNA or DNA-like molecules are found within the fossils, they may one day shed light on the genetic code of this species.
According to a 2012 study, DNA in bones completely breaks down within a maximum of about 7 million years, depending on environmental factors. However, there have been instances where scientists discovered unexpected “treasures.” For example, in 2014, intact, clear chromosomes were found in a 190-million-year-old fern, remarkably preserved after being buried in volcanic ash and fossilized quickly enough to avoid degradation, with some cells “frozen” while they were still dividing.
According to Science Alert, the signs of DNA in this dinosaur fossil are not as clear as in the fern, so the research team will need to look for additional chemical indicators to identify the mysterious structures, as well as hope to reconstruct a complete chromosome sequence from this extinct organism.
The DNA of extinct organisms is considered an unparalleled treasure as it not only carries vast amounts of information for in-depth studies of species but also allows paleontologists to pursue more ambitious goals: initially reconstructing DNA, and then finding ways to “resurrect” the organism, similar to how American and Russian scientists are attempting to do with the woolly mammoth.
