Research Reveals Collagen Remnants in Mesozoic Dinosaur Fossils

New research from the University of Liverpool has provided compelling evidence that certain Mesozoic fossils, including dinosaur bones and teeth, retain original organic materials, challenging long-held assumptions that fossilization eradicated these components. The study reveals that researchers have detected remnants of collagen in the hip bone of an Edmontosaurus, a duck-billed dinosaur, a significant addition to a scientific debate that has persisted for nearly three decades.

Ancient Collagen Found in a Dinosaur Fossil

Published in the journal Analytical Chemistry, the study focused on an exceptionally well-preserved Edmontosaurus sacrum, weighing 22 kilograms, which is a collection of vertebrae connected to the pelvis. This fossil was excavated from Upper Cretaceous rock layers in the Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota, a region known for preserving fossils from near the end of the age of dinosaurs. The specimen is now housed within the University of Liverpool’s collections.

Due to its remarkable preservation, the fossil allowed researchers to apply a variety of advanced techniques, such as protein sequencing and mass spectrometry. Mass spectrometry is vital in identifying molecules by measuring their mass and chemical properties; in this case, it enabled the detection of molecular signatures linked to collagen, the primary structural protein in bones.

Evidence That Fossil Proteins Can Survive

Professor Steve Taylor, chair of the Mass Spectrometry Research Group at the University of Liverpool’s Department of Electrical Engineering & Electronics, stated, “This research shows beyond doubt that organic biomolecules, such as proteins like collagen, appear to be present in some fossils.” He further noted the implications of this research: it refutes the hypothesis that organic materials found in fossils are solely the result of contamination and suggests that cross-polarized light microscopy images of fossil bones collected over the last century should be revisited for potential intact collagen patches.

The contamination debate centers on whether organic materials in fossils might have entered through later environmental sources, like soil or microbes. New findings bolster the argument that some material is genuinely part of the original fossilized bone.

Old Fossil Images Could Hold New Clues

The research opens avenues for identifying fossils suitable for molecular analysis. Cross-polarized light microscopy has been utilized for about 100 years to reveal structures obscured in standard microscopy. If certain collagen structures can be identified in these older images, it could provide a valuable archive for further study.

Examining these older images might assist scientists in addressing questions about biological relationships among dinosaur species, questions that traditional fossil anatomy hasn’t fully solved. This discovery poses a greater mystery as well: since proteins generally degrade over extensive periods, researchers are keen to understand how collagen or its fragments could endure for tens of millions of years.

Multiple Techniques Confirmed the Finding

The collaborative research involved specialists from various institutions. UCLA researchers contributed by employing tandem mass spectrometry to detect and quantify hydroxyproline, an amino acid specific to collagen in bone. Its identification confirmed the presence of decayed collagen. The University of Liverpool’s Mass Spectrometry Research Group conducted protein sequencing and mass spectrometry tests, while additional analyses from the University’s Materials Innovation Factory supported the findings. Fragment identification of collagen alpha-1 was conducted by the Centre for Proteome Research at the University of Liverpool.

Taken together, the evidence resolves ongoing debate over whether original biological molecules can persist in ancient fossils and presents new opportunities to study extinct organisms at the molecular level, potentially unlocking biological information previously thought lost during fossilization.