Heme compounds in dinosaur trabecular bone

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Jun 10;94(12):6291-6. doi: 10.1073/pnas.94.12.6291.

Abstract

Six independent lines of evidence point to the existence of heme-containing compounds and/or hemoglobin breakdown products in extracts of trabecular tissues of the large theropod dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex. These include signatures from nuclear magnetic resonance and electron spin resonance that indicate the presence of a paramagnetic compound consistent with heme. In addition, UV/visible spectroscopy and high performance liquid chromatography data are consistent with the Soret absorbance characteristic of this molecule. Resonance Raman profiles are also consistent with a modified heme structure. Finally, when dinosaurian tissues were extracted for protein fragments and were used to immunize rats, the resulting antisera reacted positively with purified avian and mammalian hemoglobins. The most parsimonious explanation of this evidence is the presence of blood-derived hemoglobin compounds preserved in the dinosaurian tissues.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biological Evolution
  • Birds
  • Bone and Bones / chemistry*
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Fossils*
  • Heme / analysis*
  • Hemoglobins / analysis
  • Hemoglobins / genetics*
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Mammals
  • Peptide Fragments / immunology
  • Rats
  • Reptiles*
  • Spectrophotometry
  • Spectrum Analysis, Raman

Substances

  • Hemoglobins
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Heme