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Secrets of the dinosaur mummy
The Australian ^ | December 04, 2007 | Nicola Berkovic

Posted on 12/04/2007 7:22:23 AM PST by Diamond

MOST of what we know about dinosaurs has been pieced together from fossilised bones and teeth. But the unearthing of a mummified dinosaur in the US, with preserved skin and apparent soft tissue, has the potential to unlock biological secrets millions of years old.

The remains of the duck-billed hadrosaur are in such good condition - with its skin almost entirely intact - that it has already revealed the creature ran faster and was far more muscular than previously thought.

But the remains could offer an even greater insight into the evolution and biology of dinosaurs. [snip]


(Excerpt) Read more at theaustralian.news.com.au ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: 65million2old; dakota; hadrosaur; howold; howoldisitreally; maryschweitzer; ohgodnotagain; old; paleontology
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"...with preserved skin and apparent soft tissue, has the potential to unlock biological secrets millions of years old."
If I may ask an irreverent question, can somebody please tell me how skin and blood vessels can survive intact for 67 millions years?

Cordially,

1 posted on 12/04/2007 7:22:24 AM PST by Diamond
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To: Diamond

If there’s any viable DNA, can you say Jurrasic Park?


2 posted on 12/04/2007 7:24:43 AM PST by scooter2 (The greatest threat to the security of the United States is the Democratic Party.)
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To: Diamond
If I may ask an irreverent question, can somebody please tell me how skin and blood vessels can survive intact for 67 millions years?

Viagra

3 posted on 12/04/2007 7:27:24 AM PST by Taxbilly
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To: Taxbilly
So is WAS the drug companies that killed off the dinosaurs. I knew it!

Cordially,

4 posted on 12/04/2007 7:30:26 AM PST by Diamond
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To: Diamond
If it is in a completely sealed environment with no exposure to oxygen, then it will drastically reduce the level of decay. Bacteria has been found in crystals in very deep mines, estimated to be hundreds of millions of years old, that came back to life when exposed to air.
5 posted on 12/04/2007 7:32:01 AM PST by mnehring (..one candidate did not display any moderateness or liberalism...Fred Thompson - Rush Limbaugh)
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To: Diamond

“If I may ask an irreverent question, can somebody please tell me how skin and blood vessels can survive intact for 67 millions years?”
Not certain, but until someone more knowledgeable comes along, I think it has to do with certain types of clay that the thing is buried in which may dessicate and/or provide bactericides that will prevent rot.


6 posted on 12/04/2007 7:32:22 AM PST by DancesWithBolsheviks (Peace through victory.)
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To: Diamond
Found some images.


7 posted on 12/04/2007 7:34:23 AM PST by mnehring (..one candidate did not display any moderateness or liberalism...Fred Thompson - Rush Limbaugh)
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To: DancesWithBolsheviks

Though I believe this preservative effect only needs to last long enough for fossilization - calcium slowly replacing cell structures.


8 posted on 12/04/2007 7:35:00 AM PST by DancesWithBolsheviks (Peace through victory.)
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To: Diamond

9 posted on 12/04/2007 7:35:32 AM PST by mnehring (..one candidate did not display any moderateness or liberalism...Fred Thompson - Rush Limbaugh)
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To: mnehrling

Note the scales....they appear to be pentagonal rather than the expected hexagonal


10 posted on 12/04/2007 7:40:05 AM PST by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . Moveon is not us...... Moveon is the enemy)
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To: DancesWithBolsheviks
Though I believe this preservative effect only needs to last long enough for fossilization - calcium slowly replacing cell structures.

There was no fossilzation here. It is preserved skin and soft tissue.

11 posted on 12/04/2007 7:41:42 AM PST by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: mnehrling
What if the dinosaur was not in a crystal, or in an airtight environment, then how would you explain that the flesh survived for 67 million years?

Cordially,

12 posted on 12/04/2007 7:42:00 AM PST by Diamond
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To: Diamond

Clay is a great sealant. Bacteria can’t grow and it seals off the animal from oxygen. It is like sealing it inside a rock.


13 posted on 12/04/2007 7:44:59 AM PST by mnehring (..one candidate did not display any moderateness or liberalism...Fred Thompson - Rush Limbaugh)
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To: Diamond

They’ve dug up human sacrifices from Irish and German peat bogs that are thousands of years old and quite remarkably intact.

Big jump from that to 67M, it’s true.


14 posted on 12/04/2007 7:45:56 AM PST by Sherman Logan
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To: Diamond

mark


15 posted on 12/04/2007 7:50:58 AM PST by sauropod (Welcome to O'Malleyland. What's in your wallet?)
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To: sauropod

IBTHTP


16 posted on 12/04/2007 7:55:14 AM PST by BenLurkin
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To: ShadowAce
There was no fossilzation here. It is preserved skin and soft tissue.

Fossilized bone, skin, tendons and ligaments.

17 posted on 12/04/2007 7:55:29 AM PST by atlaw
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To: Diamond

Very interesting post. Thanks!


18 posted on 12/04/2007 8:00:14 AM PST by Ken in Eastman (Those who ignore history are destined to vote Democrat)
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To: Diamond
If I may ask an irreverent question, can somebody please tell me how skin and blood vessels can survive intact for 67 millions years?

They didn't. The skin and blood vessels were fossilized. The significant thing is that they were mummified before they were fossilized -- usually fossilization takes place after the soft parts of the animal have decayed. This article is badly written.

19 posted on 12/04/2007 8:07:33 AM PST by Alter Kaker (Gravitation is a theory, not a fact. It should be approached with an open mind...)
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To: ShadowAce
There was no fossilzation here. It is preserved skin and soft tissue.

Wrong -- and in fairness the author of the article is confused too. The skin and soft tissue were fossilized, which is extremely rare -- usually just bones are preserved.

20 posted on 12/04/2007 8:09:02 AM PST by Alter Kaker (Gravitation is a theory, not a fact. It should be approached with an open mind...)
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