What do burnt toast and dinosaur bones have in common? Yale researchers have found the surprising answer. It lies in the chemicals that keep some bodily tissues intact within dinosaur fossils.
Yale scientist Jasmina Wiemann and her colleagues wanted to solve a mystery that’s been a thorn in the side of paleontologists since the 1940s. Why is it that soft tissues like blood vessels and cells are sometimes preserved alongside bones and teeth in dinosaur fossils?
“If we think about a decaying carcass, usually the soft stuff decays away really rapidly after death, like within a few weeks. There shouldn’t be anything left, right? ‘Jurassic Park’ taught us that all the fossil remains turn into rock.”
Scientists tested 35 fossil samples from ancient mammals and dinosaurs like the allosaurus and the long-necked sauropods. They found their soft tissues were best preserved when their bodies were found in places with lots of sandstones or limestones like shallow riverbeds and sand dunes.
And the chemicals that preserve them? Turns out they’re really similar to the black stuff you see when you burn your toast in the morning.
“Because of their characteristic structure, they have staining capabilities. And usually they cause a dark brownish, even blackish stain. And it’s very much comparable to burnt toast.”
Jasmina said that doesn’t entirely close the book on that 70-year-old paleontological mystery, but it’s about to add a new chapter.
“We can use these fossil soft tissues to learn more about animal physiology, animal relationships, about general processes that occur during fossilization.”
Jasmina said unfortunately these cells are so chemically altered that the original dino DNA is gone – in other words, the toast is too burnt. That means no cloning dinosaurs. So for now at least, “Jurassic Park” will have to stay in the realm of sci-fi.
