Fossilized dinosaur red blood cells discovered

An international research team has discovered preserved red blood cells and collagen amino acids in a 115-million-year-old dinosaur fossil in Brazil. This finding, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, enhances understanding of fossil preservation and molecular longevity. The dinosaur, an Aratasaurus museonacionali, measured up to 3 meters long and weighed around 34 kilograms. The researchers chemically confirmed the presence of hemoglobin-derived molecules in the fossilized cells, marking a significant breakthrough. The exceptional preservation is attributed to rapid burial in a low-oxygen environment rich in microorganisms. This discovery challenges existing hypotheses about the survival of biomolecules over geological timescales and has implications for astrobiology.