Protein found in a 195 million-year-old dinosaur
In a recent study scientists report the presence of ancient collagen and protein remains preserved in a 195 million-year-old fossil, as demonstrated through in situ SR-FTIR microspectroscopy of the Early Jurassic sauropodomorph dinosaur Lufengosaurus. Previously, only some evidence of preservation of organic remains was found in embryonic fossils of the same Early Jurassic sauropodomorph dinosaur Lufengosaurus from the same locality in Yunnan Province, China. In addition, the next oldest degraded collagen fragments were found in 75 million-year-old fossils. The characteristic infrared absorption spectra of collagen and protein provide undeniable, clear evidence that collagen and protein remains were preserved inside the osteonal central vascular canals of this early dinosaur. This finding extends the record of preserved organic remains more than 100 million years.
source: http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms14220
