Journal article
Biochemistry and adaptive colouration of an exceptionally preserved juvenile fossil sea turtle
Scientific reports, v 7(1), pp 13324-13
17 Oct 2017
PMID: 29042651
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
The holotype (MHM-K2) of the Eocene cheloniine Tasbacka danica is arguably one of the best preserved juvenile fossil sea turtles on record. Notwithstanding compactional flattening, the specimen is virtually intact, comprising a fully articulated skeleton exposed in dorsal view. MHM-K2 also preserves, with great fidelity, soft tissue traces visible as a sharply delineated carbon film around the bones and marginal scutes along the edge of the carapace. Here we show that the extraordinary preservation of the type of T. danica goes beyond gross morphology to include ultrastructural details and labile molecular components of the once-living animal. Haemoglobin-derived compounds, eumelanic pigments and proteinaceous materials retaining the immunological characteristics of sauropsid-specific beta-keratin and tropomyosin were detected in tissues containing remnant melanosomes and decayed keratin plates. The preserved organics represent condensed remains of the cornified epidermis and, likely also, deeper anatomical features, and provide direct chemical evidence that adaptive melanism a biological means used by extant sea turtle hatchlings to elevate metabolic and growth rates-had evolved 54 million years ago.
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Details
- Title
- Biochemistry and adaptive colouration of an exceptionally preserved juvenile fossil sea turtle
- Creators
- Johan Lindgren - Lund UniversityTakeo Kuriyama - Lund UniversityHenrik Madsen - Moclay Museum, DK-7900 Nykobing, DenmarkPeter Sjovall - RISE Research Institutes of SwedenWenxia Zheng - North Carolina State UniversityPer Uvdal - Lund UniversityAnders Engdahl - MAX IV LaboratoryAlison E. Moyer - North Carolina State UniversityJohan A. Gren - Lund UniversityNaoki Kamezaki - Okayama University of ScienceShintaro Ueno - The University of TokyoMary H. Schweitzer - North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
- Publication Details
- Scientific reports, v 7(1), pp 13324-13
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Number of pages
- 13
- Grant note
- State of North Carolina DGE-1252376 / National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program; National Science Foundation (NSF) 642-2014-3773 / Swedish Research Council ECCS-1542015 / National Science Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF) EAR-1344198 / National Science Foundation INSPIRE grant
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biology
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000413084800021
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85031824970
- Other Identifier
- 991021229992804721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Biology