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'Blood cells' found in dinosaur fossils


Still Waters

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Researchers have discovered what appear to be the remnants of red blood cells and connective tissue in 75 million-year-old dinosaur fossils.

The work could shine a light on long-standing questions about dinosaur physiology, including whether specific species were warm- or cold-blooded.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...onment-33067582

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Since fossils aren't even bone I find this a bit tough to believe......before I've read the article.

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I interviewed Mary Schweitzer about a year ago over similar findings mentioned in the article.

I remember reading, while preparing for the interview, that more instances were being found after the initial finding in a T. Rex bone.

Basically bones are preserved after excavation very carefully, and their rarity means scientists aren't in a hurry to damage the ones they have without good reason due to their rarity.

Its really cool, but one thing I have seen speculated on was this being used to eventually clone dinosaurs.

The problem is DNA has a halflife that is far shorter than the distance if time between the extinction of the dinosaurs and today.

Even in best case scenarios.

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Its all part of the Hollywood Jurassic World Promo campaign ~

~

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Its all part of the Hollywood Jurassic World Promo campaign ~

The timing is interesting. Also, this article is 65 million years in the making.

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The timing is interesting. Also, this article is 65 million years in the making.

And crafted by Intelligent Design.

Sorry, you know that I needed to make that joke.

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Not only that ... feast your eyes on this latest flavor of 'Science' :

  • NatGeo TRex autopsy link

I guess the money is an offer too good to turn down ... hell ... if NatGeo turned it down there will be a line round the building begging for the opportunity ~

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The article doesn't say "actual" red blood cells, just that they can now see the fossilized ones in the bones due to the level of preservation. Along with other materials that make up the bones or near them (like soft tissue). T-Rex bones were so rare that they were afraid to mess with them until now.

The cloning talk needs to die down, not ever going to happen.

Edited by BeastieRunner
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Keep telling yourself that cloning of dinos isn't going to happen. Wooly Mammoths are first on the list. (I know, not a dino) All they need to find is a frozen dino bone......and we're off!

Edited by paperdyer
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The DNA doesn't last long enough. Best you might get is scraps.

Reverse engineering birds is the closest we will get.

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Keep telling yourself that cloning of dinos isn't going to happen. Wooly Mammoths are first on the list. (I know, not a dino) All they need to find is a frozen dino bone......and we're off!

The article also states that DNA is not stable enough to last long enough ... so ...

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Sorry, you know that I needed to make that joke.

Anytime buddy

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I think if 'cloning' a dino were ever possible it would be more along the lines of regressing modern DNA (perhaps birds or reptiles) along their ancestral lines until they reach 65 million years ago and then recreating/re-sequencing the DNA in the lab. Sounds like sci-fi but ... *shrug* ... possible?

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