Journal article
Testing the Hypothesis of Biofilm as a Source for Soft Tissue and Cell-Like Structures Preserved in Dinosaur Bone
PloS one, v 11(2), pp e0150238-e0150238
29 Feb 2016
PMID: 26926069
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Recovery of still-soft tissue structures, including blood vessels and osteocytes, from dinosaur bone after demineralization was reported in 2005 and in subsequent publications. Despite multiple lines of evidence supporting an endogenous source, it was proposed that these structures arose from contamination from biofilm-forming organisms. To test the hypothesis that soft tissue structures result from microbial invasion of the fossil bone, we used two different biofilm-forming microorganisms to inoculate modern bone fragments from which organic components had been removed. We show fundamental morphological, chemical and textural differences between the resultant biofilm structures and those derived from dinosaur bone. The data do not support the hypothesis that biofilm-forming microorganisms are the source of these structures.
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Details
- Title
- Testing the Hypothesis of Biofilm as a Source for Soft Tissue and Cell-Like Structures Preserved in Dinosaur Bone
- Creators
- Mary Higby Schweitzer - North Carolina Museum of Natural SciencesAlison E. Moyer - North Carolina State UniversityWenxia Zheng - North Carolina State University
- Publication Details
- PloS one, v 11(2), pp e0150238-e0150238
- Publisher
- Public Library Science
- Number of pages
- 18
- Grant note
- EAR-1344198 / National Science Foundation INSPIRE program 30533 / David and Lucile Packard Foundation; The David & Lucile Packard Foundation 1344198 / Directorate For Geosciences; National Science Foundation (NSF); NSF - Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) DGE-1252376 / National Science Foundation GRFP; National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biology
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000371424200030
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-84960344647
- Other Identifier
- 991021230005804721
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- Web of Science research areas
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology