Organiska molekyler har upptäckts i 66 miljoner år gamla dinosaurieben

14 maj 2026

Rapporterad av AI

Forskare har identifierat spår av ursprungligt kollagen i ett Edmontosaurus-fossil från South Dakota. Upptäckten, som publicerades 2025, utmanar föreställningen om att allt biologiskt material går förlorat under fossiliseringsprocessen.

Forskare vid University of Liverpool undersökte ett 22 kilogram tungt korsben från ett Edmontosaurus-fossil som hittats i Hell Creek-formationen. Genom att använda masspektrometri, proteinsekvensering och andra laboratorietekniker upptäckte de rester av kollagen, det huvudsakliga proteinet i benvävnad. Kollegor vid UCLA bekräftade förekomsten av hydroxiprolin, en aminosyra kopplad till kollagen, vilket stärker teorin om att molekylerna härrör från själva dinosaurien snarare än från modern kontaminering.

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