Independent Evidence for the Preservation of Endogenous Bone Biochemistry in a Specimen of Tyrannosaurus rex

Anné, Jennifer; Canoville, Aurore; Edwards, Nicholas P.; Schweitzer, Mary H.; Zanno, Lindsay E.

doi:10.3390/biology12020264

Independent Evidence for the Preservation of Endogenous Bone Biochemistry in a Specimen of Tyrannosaurus rex

Journal Article · Tue Feb 07 00:00:00 EST 2023 · Biology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12020264· OSTI ID:1991612

Anné, Jennifer ^[1]; Canoville, Aurore ^[2]; ^[3]; Schweitzer, Mary H. ^[4]; Zanno, Lindsay E. ^[5]

Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, IN (United States); SLAC
Stiftung Schloss Friedenstein Gotha (Germany)
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL)
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States); North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC (United States); Lund Univ. (Sweden)
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States); North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC (United States)

Biomolecules preserved in deep time have potential to shed light on major evolutionary questions, driving the search for new and more rigorous methods to detect them. Despite the increasing body of evidence from a wide variety of new, high resolution/high sensitivity analytical techniques, this research is commonly met with skepticism, as the long standing dogma persists that such preservation in very deep time (>1 Ma) is unlikely. The Late Cretaceous dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex (MOR 1125) has been shown, through multiple biochemical studies, to preserve original bone chemistry. Here, we provide additional, independent support that deep time bimolecular preservation is possible. We use synchrotron X-ray fluorescence imaging (XRF) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to investigate a section from the femur of this dinosaur, and demonstrate preservation of elements (S, Ca, and Zn) associated with bone remodeling and redeposition. We then compare these data to the bone of an extant dinosaur (bird), as well as a second non-avian dinosaur, Tenontosaurus tilletti (OMNH 34784) that did not preserve any sign of original biochemistry. Our data indicate that MOR 1125 bone cortices have similar bone elemental distributions to that of an extant bird, which supports preservation of original endogenous chemistry in this specimen.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Institutes of Health (NIH); National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-76SF00515

OSTI ID:: 1991612

Journal Information:: Biology, Journal Name: Biology Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 12; ISSN 2079-7737

Publisher:: MDPICopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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