Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences· 2026Q1
Heme signatures in mineralized red blood cells within vascular canals of a 115-million-year-old dinosaur bone
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Heme-derived tetrapyrroles and red blood cell-like microstructures, containing iron and manganese oxide, were identified within vascular canals of a 115-million-year-old theropod dinosaur bone, indicating preserved blood biomolecules.
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Key points
- Heme-derived tetrapyrroles and red blood cell-like microstructures were detected in a 115-million-year-old theropod dinosaur bone.
- Heme B was identified as the principal tetrapyrrole, differing from porphyrins in the surrounding bone matrix.
- Microstructures contained porphyrin signals of heme, along with iron, nitrogen, carbon, and the mineral hausmannite (Mn3O4).
- These findings demonstrate the preservation of blood-derived biomolecules within mineralized red blood cells in a dinosaur fossil.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Detection of endogenous biomolecules in vertebrate fossils remains controversial because labile compounds degrade quickly and are highly susceptible to contamination. Here, we present data on the preservation of heme-derived tetrapyrroles, and vascular canal-constrained ellipsoidal microstructures, inferred to be red blood cells, in limb bones of Aratasaurus museunacionali , a 115-million-year-old theropod dinosaur. High-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry identified parent and diagenetically altered heme B as the principal tetrapyrroles of bone extract, contrasting the chlorophyll and bacteriochlorophyll porphyrin signatures of the surrounding matrix supporting an endogenous origin. Separate spatially resolved analyses by Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy confirmed the ellipsoid microstructure localization of i) porphyrin signals of heme and ii) key elements of heme (Fe, N, and C) and mineral stabilizing hausmannite (Mn 3 O 4 ), respectively. These results demonstrate blood-derived biomolecules in mineralized red blood cells of a dinosaur.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2026 · DOI ↗
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PaleontologyEarth and Planetary Sciences