Bits of Triceratops Gene Extracted?!

[dragonlady_mothman]

Bits of Triceratops Gene Extracted

July 29, 2000

Marsic, Carroll, Heffelfinger, Tyler R. Lyson, Joseph D. Ng, and William R. Garstka report that they have extracted genetic material from the fossilized bones of Triceratops, a large, plant-eating dinosaur.

These scientists analyzed samples from two vertebrae and a rib fragment of a Triceratops from North Dakota, USA, isolating 130 base pairs of its 12S rRNA gene (ribosomal RNA, a type of RNA found in the ribosomes of cells, where protein synthesis occurs). 100% of the base pairs matched those of the turkey (and 94.5% were similar to many of the other bird RNA samples tested). If true, this find certainly strengthens the argument that birds and dinosaurs are closely related.

Dr. Garstka, from the University of Alabama, worked with scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences and NASA to extract the RNA from the poorly mineralized samples. Most fossils are basically rock reproductions of the original organic tissue - over time, the original tissue undergoes the process of mineralization (in which the original atoms are replaced by new minerals, so a fossil doesn't have the same chemical composition as the original object). Poorly mineralized fossils, such as this one, retain some of their original organic material. It is this remaining organic material that was analyzed for genetic material.

This is an extremely controversial result, because most scientists think that nucleic acids (the organic material that DNA and RNA are made of) will not survive intact for over 100,000 years. Also, the birds are thought to have evolved from small theropod dinosaurs, and not ceratopsians (a type of ornithischian dinosaur), who diverged from the theropods (a type of saurischian dinosaur) almost a hundred million years before the first known bird (Archaeopteryx) appeared.

Dr. William Garstka reported this find at the Florida Symposium on Dinosaur Bird Evolution: Raptors, Rexes, Fuzz, and Feathers on April 8, 2000.

source

[frogfish]

just wondering...why havet i heard this in the news?

[Gothic_Vamppy]

it was probablly on BBC or sumtin lol. but I mean hey if they can clone that RNa And make a dino like from JP more powa to 'um

[saladins follower]

just wondering...why havet i heard this in the news?

asked my self same question

[Khadhul]

July 29, 2000

That's likely why you haven't heard it in the news.

Edited October 4, 2005 by Khadhul

[frogfish]

still, it would of made world news...i have never heard of this...is it a reliable source?

[Khadhul]

A quick viewing of the site url tells me that the name of it is Enchanted Learning, which is hardly something that inspires trust at first glance. Also the fact that this article is under 'dinosaurs' and not 'palaeontology' isn't very trust-inspiring.

[JoeBean24]

wow this is exciting stuff!!

[indeed]

A quick viewing of the site url tells me that the name of it is Enchanted Learning, which is hardly something that inspires trust at first glance. Also the fact that this article is under 'dinosaurs' and not 'palaeontology' isn't very trust-inspiring.

And if you go to the Enchanted Learning websites homepage you will find its a site for kids. Doing a google of "Triceratops Gene Extracted" Roughly 95% of the links go back to that same site and the rest go to a Religious website.

I would of thought something as amazing as this would be everywhere, especially as its 5 years old now

[dragonlady_mothman]

I was wondering the same thing. That's why I put it here. You'd have thought that they'd STILL be talking about it, you know?