Posted on 07/27/2006 9:22:40 AM PDT by SirLinksalot
Fossil frogs yield 'soft tissues'
By Helen Briggs Science reporter, BBC News
The specimens were found in Spain Scientists have extracted marrow from the bones of frogs and salamanders that died 10 million years ago in the muddy swamps of north-eastern Spain.
The first fossilised bone marrow known to science provides a rare insight into the make-up of prehistoric animals.
It is preserved in remarkable detail; usually only hard tissue such as bone survives in the fossil record.
The soft tissue may yield traces of protein and DNA, researchers report in the journal Geology.
Bone marrow is the tissue that fills the centre of large bones, acting as a factory for producing new platelets and red and white blood cells.
There are two types: haematopoietic (which can produce blood cells) and stromal (which can produce fat, cartilage and bone).
"It is very exciting because with this organic material we can look for traces of organic molecules, protein and possibly even DNA." said Maria McNamara, University College Dublin .
The ancient bone marrow was preserved in 3D, retaining the original texture and red and yellow colour of haematopoietic and fatty marrow.
"Finding soft tissue like this is so important because it gives an insight into the physiology of ancient organisms, and how their bodies worked," said team member Maria McNamara of University College Dublin.
"The fact that we've got red bone marrow in the salamander shows that their blood cells were produced in the bone marrow; in the modern salamander it is not, it is produced in the spleen," she told the BBC News website.
Protective shell
The frogs and salamanders were found in a fossil-rich deposit dating back to the Miocene Epoch, the period of time that extends from about 5.3 to 23 million years ago.
Ms McNamara, and colleagues in the UK, Spain and US, say the bone marrow was preserved because the bones acted as a protective shell, preventing microbes from invading and breaking the soft tissue down.
T. rex fossil has 'soft tissues'
They believe many other examples of preserved bone marrow will be found, raising the possibility of investigating the proteins and DNA of prehistoric animals.
"It is very exciting because with this organic material we can look for traces of organic molecules, protein and possibly even DNA," the Dublin researcher said.
"There are potentially a lot more of these types of tissue preserved and much more chance for other palaeontologists to find protein and DNA."
Certainly, past reports of the discovery of fossilised blood cells have proved controversial. Many finds have turned out to be little more than mineral deposits.
Last year, US researchers extracted some flexible filaments that resembled blood vessels from dinosaur bone. They also found traces of what look liked red blood cells.
The bone belonged to a Tyrannosaurus rex specimen that was at least 65 million years old
Related to this, see here :
http://english.people.com.cn/200607/21/eng20060721_285487.html
Living fossil" discovered in SW China
Experts recently discovered around 1200 Chinese Hynobiidaes in Guiding county Southwest of China's Guizhou province. These are a type of amphibian species around 300 million years old that once used to live in the dinosaur period. The discovery has offered important reference for the study on animals' evolution and welwitschiopsida's ecological environment.
It is known from the fishery station of Guiding county that this precious species is found in several townships like Yanxia, Duliu. They live happily with Chinese giant salamanders (Andrias davidianus) in clear streams and ponds, appearing with an amazingly large population with more than 1000 found in Yanxia township alone.
The species, named as Chinese Hynobiidae, dubbed as the "living fossil", was first discovered in Yichang, central China's Hubei province. It shares the shape of a giant salamander and has been listed on China's Red List of Endangered Species in1986.
Experts attribute the successful survival of the species to the favorable ecological environment. More than 40 percent of Yanxia township is covered by forest. Hills and ravines are seen here and there; waterfalls, springs, pools and linns form along over 100 streams, all of which has given a natural reserve for the ancient animal.
At present relevant authorities have already taken necessary protection measures for these emerging live flocks.
By People's Daily Online
....about a year before Helen Thomas figured out what a rock was..
Doogle
Whew ..... that was a close one! Thought this was a re-post concerning the bone marrow recently discovered that was 9,987,999 years ago.
Never mind me ......
We're gonna find out how prehistoric frog legs tasted???
So how long until someone clones Frogzilla?
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"Brothers and sisters, we are here gathered to pay tribute to one more thread surely consigned to an untimely passing as the endless war wages around it and the evos and crevos fire blindly from their trenches, mindlessly perpetuating endless butchering of threads . . ." |
yeah, 10 million years. Rigggggggggghhhhhhht.
I was just gonna say... how long until someone gets eaten by one ?
"Fossil frogs yield 'soft tissues' "
Why should we care about the ancestors of the French? :)
Gawd created those 6000 years ago.
The bahbull told me so. Hold mah beer.
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