Researcher Found Poorly Preserved Dinosaur Fossils with Blood Cells

Imperial College London team of researchers has found a badly preserved bone of dinosaur with red blood cells and collagen fibers.

Using a scanning electron microscopy device, they have analyzed eight fragments of dinosaur bones including theropod, Chasmosaurus sp., hadrosaurid, and ceratopsid dinosaurs. These dino fragments have been in the collection of Natural History Museum in London for more than a century.

Researchers observed the dinosaur fossil fragment with its structure, composition and location of the soft tissue. Using ion beam, they have sliced the samples and examined the internal structure of the bone fragment. They have identified structures that appears like blood remnants and with an inner denser core from the claw part of theropod dinosaur, according to Sci-News. The team assumed that it was most likely a contamination.

However, they ruled out that assumption due to the fact that human blood cells do not contain nuclei. Another observation was the possible fibers of the collagen that appears in bird bones, assuming that it could be red blood cells.

Lead researcher Susannah Maidment said that these newly discovered fossils are useful to find the missing pieces on jigsaw puzzle in understanding the evolution of dinosaurs.

However, furthers research and a little digging in onto the evidence are needed to confirm the assumption. On the other hand, if they have found out that their research is true and possible, it would be a big help to scientists in understanding when dinosaurs became warm-blooded animals and possessed bird-like metabolism, ending the debate on what kind of animals they are, as per Washington Post report.