Endogenous Proteins Found in a 70-Million-Year- Old Giant Marine Lizard
Research at MAX-lab, the experimental station for IR-microscopy at Beamline 73
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Dr. Johan Lindgren, Dr. Anders Engdahl, and Prof. Per Uval at the IR-microscopy experimental station, Beamline 73, at MAX-lab.
Photo: Annika Nyberg
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UCMP 32778
One of the most well preserved mosasaur skulls in the world. Fossil at Museum of Paleonthology,
University of California Berkeley, California.
Photo: Johan Lindgren
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Bone matrix fibers in mosasaur bone
(a) Histologic preparation that shows how the fibres surrounds a vascular duct. (b) SEM-picture that
shows etched fibres. (c) Detail of histologic preparation showing fibres encapsulated in bioapatite.
(d) Histo-chemical stain (blue) showing that the fibres contain biological matter.
Photo: Johan Lindgren
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Osteocytes
KConfocal microscopic pictures of an osteocyte-similar structure. Osteocytes are cells that are
producing typ I collagen.
Photo: Johan Lindgren
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Infrared microspectroscopy of fibres isolated from
a mosasaur bone.
(a) SEM-picture of the fibres. The white square marks the area measured by synchrotron light. (b)
Absorbans spectra from the fibre bundle reproduced in a (red=synchrotron light; blue=conventional light).
(c) Comparison between absorbans spectra from recent typ I collagen, osteoid from a recent monitor lizard
(varan), and fibres from a mosasaur (Prognathodon).
Photo and source: Johan Lindgren
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(a) Comparison between absorbans spectra from two modern bacterial biofilms, isolated bacteria cells, a
bacteria protein, typ I collagen, osteoid from monitor lizard, and fibres from a mosasaur (Prognathodon).
(b) Dendrogram that show among other things the similarity i the spectra from typ I collagen, osteoid from
a monitor lixard, and fibres from the mosasaur bone (Prognathodon). (c) Dendrogram showing how homogenic
different fibre bundles from the monitor lizard and the mosasaur samples are.
Source: Johan Lindgren
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Peakt fit analysis of mosasaur (Prognathodon) and monitor lizard spectra.
Source: Johan Lindgren
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| Contacts |
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Dr. Johan Lindgren.
Photo: Annika Nyberg |
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| Johan.Lindgren@geol.lu.se |
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Prof. Per Uvdal.
Photo: Annika Nyberg |
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| Per.Uvdal@chemphys.lu.se |
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Dr. Anders Engdahl.
Photo: Annika Nyberg |
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| Anders.Engdahl@maxlab.lu.se |
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Fossil – just stone? No, a research team in Lund, Sweden, has discovered primary biological
matter in a fossil of an extinct varanoid lizard (a mosasaur) that inhabited marine environments
during Late Cretaceous times. Using state-of-the-art technology, the scientists have been able to
link proteinaceous molecules to bone matrix fibres isolated from a 70-million-year-old fossil; i.e.,
they have found genuine remains of an extinct animal entombed in stone.
With their discovery, the scientists Johan Lindgren, Per Uvdal, Anders Engdahl, and colleagues
have demonstrated that remains of type I collagen, a structural protein, are retained in a mosasaur
fossil. The scientists have employed e.g., synchrotron radiation-based infrared microspectroscopy
at MAX-lab in Lund (Sweden) to show that amino acid containing matter remains in fibrous tissues
obtained from a mosasaur bone. Previously, other research teams have identified collagen-derived
peptides in dinosaur fossils based on e.g., mass spectrometric analyses of whole bone extracts.
The present study provides compelling evidence to suggest that the biomolecules recovered are
primary and not contaminants from recent bacterial biofilms or collagen-like proteins. Moreover,
the discovery demonstrates that the preservation of primary soft tissues and endogenous biomolecules
is not limited to large-sized bones buried in fluvial sandstone environments, but also occurs in
relatively small-sized skeletal elements deposited in marine sediments.
A paper reporting the discovery is now available in the scientific journal PLoS ONE:
http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0019445
Facts:
Mosasaurs are a group of extinct varanoid lizards that inhabited marine environments
during the Late Cretaceous (approx. 100-65 million year ago).
Collagen is the dominating protein in bone.
The scientists have applied a broad spectrum of sophisticated techniques to achieve
their results. In addition to synchrotron radiation-based infrared microspectroscopy,
mass spectrometry and amino acid analysis have been performed. Virtually all experiments
have been made in Lund. At MAX-lab, the experiments have been conducted at the MAX I ring, at the experimental station for IR-microscopy, beamline 73.
For further information, please contact
Dr Johan Lindgren, Department of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Lund University.
e-post:
Johan.Lindgren@geol.lu.se, Phone: +46-(0)768-54 14 91
Professor Per Uvdal, Chemical Physics at Lund University, and MAX-lab.
e-post:
Per.Uvdal@chemphys.lu.se, Phone: +46-(0)733-00 49 48
Dr Anders Engdahl, MAX-lab.
e-post:
Anders.Engdahl@maxlab.lu.se, Phone. +46-(0)768-93 77 08
 Pressrelease 2011-04-29 (PDF)
The paper was published 29 april 2011
Link to the paper "Microspectroscopic Evidence of Cretaceous Bone Proteins"
http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0019445
For technical details about the IR-microscopy beamline 73...
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