Journal article
Microscopic and immunohistochemical analyses of the claw of the nesting dinosaur, Citipati osmolskae
Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences, v 283(1842), 20161997
16 Nov 2016
PMID: 28120795
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
One of the most well-recognized Cretaceous fossils is Citipati osmolskae (MPC-D 100/979), an oviraptorid dinosaur discovered in brooding position on a nest of unhatched eggs. The original description refers to a thin lens of white material extending from a manus ungual, which was proposed to represent original keratinous claw sheath that, in life, would have covered it. Here, we test the hypothesis that this exceptional morphological preservation extends to the molecular level. The fossil sheath was compared with that of extant birds, revealing similar morphology and microstructural organization. In living birds, the claw sheath consists primarily of two structural proteins; alpha-keratin, expressed in all vertebrates, and beta-keratin, found only in reptiles and birds (sauropsids). We employed antibodies raised against avian feathers, which comprise almost entirely of beta-keratin, to demonstrate that fossil tissues respond with the same specificity, though less intensity, as those from living birds. Furthermore, we show that calcium chelation greatly increased antibody reactivity, suggesting a role for calcium in the preservation of this fossil material.
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Details
- Title
- Microscopic and immunohistochemical analyses of the claw of the nesting dinosaur, Citipati osmolskae
- Creators
- Alison E Moyer (Corresponding Author) - North Carolina State UniversityWenxia Zheng - North Carolina State UniversityMary H Schweitzer - North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
- Publication Details
- Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences, v 283(1842), 20161997
- Publisher
- The Royal Society
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biology
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000388718700017
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-84995387794
- Other Identifier
- 991019168861304721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Biology
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology