[dinosaur] Tissue-like structures in fossil vertebrates from Dinosaur Park Formation in Alberta

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Ben [email protected]=0D=0A=0D=0A=0D=0AA new paper:=0D=0A=
=0D=0A=0D=0AAaron J.van der Reest & Philip J.Currie (2020)=0D=0APreservatio=
n rates of tissue-like structures in vertebrate remains from the=0D=0Aupper=
 Campanian of Alberta: Dinosaur Park Formation=0D=0ACretaceous Research: 10=
437 (advance online publication)=0D=0Adoi: https://urldefense.proofpoint.co=
m/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__doi.org_10.1016_j.cretres.2019.104370&d=3DDwIBaQ&c=
=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=3DRy_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgec=
RCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&m=3DzXWe6Y42loOTlyt8mSyDI1Evabx6FvSdK34CtG6Z_4Q&s=3DbTu=
YztoJe7wxE3w_E9NhWrpXhi4rNmezUvCgapTb0y0&e=3D =0D=0Ahttps://urldefense.proo=
fpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__www.sciencedirect.com_science_article_pii_S=
0195667119300874&d=3DDwIBaQ&c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI=
&r=3DRy_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&m=3DzXWe6Y42loOTlyt8mSyDI1=
Evabx6FvSdK34CtG6Z_4Q&s=3DGINVcIWim8Fnmx_Nk22l3xTOWlRUf8MO6iS6a0uU4hY&e=3D =
=0D=0A=0D=0A=0D=0AIn recent years, several papers have claimed that soft ti=
ssue can preserve=0D=0Awithin bone matrix of extinct vertebrates, some dati=
ng back over 100=0D=0Amillion years. Work conducted on specimens from Monta=
na suggested sediment=0D=0Atype may influence preservation of original tiss=
ues and proteins. An=0D=0Aalternative hypothesis is that soft tissue preser=
vation may be linked to=0D=0Athe time that a specimen is exposed to the env=
ironment prior to burial. The=0D=0Atime of exposure can be estimated by the=
 degree of disarticulation of a=0D=0Askeleton. A study was conducted to det=
ermine if these factors truly=0D=0Acontribute to the preservation of soft t=
issue-like structures in the=0D=0Ageological record. This study is not inte=
nded to verify the presence of=0D=0Aproteins but is simply to determine how=
 common are macrostructures that=0D=0Alook like soft tissue preservation. S=
amples were placed into a 0.5 M=0D=0Asolution of (ethylenedinitrilo)tetraac=
etic acid, disodium salt, dihydrate=0D=0A(EDTA) for two months to dissolve =
mineral components. All specimens studied=0D=0Awere collected from the Dino=
saur Park Formation (upper Campanian) to=0D=0Aminimize stratigraphic variat=
ion that may influence preservation.=0D=0ADissolution of vertebrate remains=
 sampled indicate an unexpectedly high=0D=0Arate of structural preservation=
. Fifteen dinosaur, two crocodilian, one=0D=0Afish, and one turtle were sam=
pled for a total of nineteen specimens.=0D=0ASpecimens were chosen based on=
 sediment type and degree of articulation.=0D=0AApproximately half of the s=
amples were recovered from sandstones, and the=0D=0Aother half originated i=
n mudstones. Additionally, approximately half of the=0D=0Asamples were coll=
ected from articulated or closely associated skeletons,=0D=0Aand the other =
half were taken from isolated bones or specimens from micro=0D=0Avertebrate=
 sites. Of the nineteen specimens tested, eighteen specimens=0D=0Aproduced =
"vessel" structures, eighteen had extracellular organic-like=0D=0Amatter, a=
nd seven revealed "osteocyte" structures. Although "vessel" and=0D=0Aextrac=
ellular organic-like structures are not associated to a specific=0D=0Amatri=
x type or degree of association, "osteocyte" structures appear to be=0D=0Aa=
ssociated more often with articulated/associated specimens, especially if=
=0D=0Athey are preserved in sandstones.=0D=0A=

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<div dir=3D"ltr">Ben Creisler<div><a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">bc=
[email protected]</a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>A new paper:<=
br><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Aaron J.van der Reest &amp; Philip J.=
Currie (2020)<br>Preservation rates of tissue-like structures in vertebrate=
 remains from the upper Campanian of Alberta: Dinosaur Park Formation<br>Cr=
etaceous Research: 10437 (advance online publication)<br>doi: <a href=3D"ht=
tps://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__doi.org_10.1016_j.cret=
res.2019.104370&amp;d=3DDwMFaQ&amp;c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7C=
Sfnc_gI&amp;r=3DRy_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&amp;m=3DzXWe6Y4=
2loOTlyt8mSyDI1Evabx6FvSdK34CtG6Z_4Q&amp;s=3DbTuYztoJe7wxE3w_E9NhWrpXhi4rNm=
ezUvCgapTb0y0&amp;e=3D">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2019.104370</a> <=
br><a href=3D"https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__www.sc=
iencedirect.com_science_article_pii_S0195667119300874&amp;d=3DDwMFaQ&amp;c=
=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&amp;r=3DRy_mO4IFaUmGof_Yl9My=
ZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&amp;m=3DzXWe6Y42loOTlyt8mSyDI1Evabx6FvSdK34CtG6Z_4Q=
&amp;s=3DGINVcIWim8Fnmx_Nk22l3xTOWlRUf8MO6iS6a0uU4hY&amp;e=3D">https://www.=
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195667119300874</a></div><div><br><=
br>In recent years, several papers have claimed that soft tissue can preser=
ve within bone matrix of extinct vertebrates, some dating back over 100 mil=
lion years. Work conducted on specimens from Montana suggested sediment typ=
e may influence preservation of original tissues and proteins. An alternati=
ve hypothesis is that soft tissue preservation may be linked to the time th=
at a specimen is exposed to the environment prior to burial. The time of ex=
posure can be estimated by the degree of disarticulation of a skeleton. A s=
tudy was conducted to determine if these factors truly contribute to the pr=
eservation of soft tissue-like structures in the geological record. This st=
udy is not intended to verify the presence of proteins but is simply to det=
ermine how common are macrostructures that look like soft tissue preservati=
on. Samples were placed into a 0.5 M solution of (ethylenedinitrilo)tetraac=
etic acid, disodium salt, dihydrate (EDTA) for two months to dissolve miner=
al components. All specimens studied were collected from the Dinosaur Park =
Formation (upper Campanian) to minimize stratigraphic variation that may in=
fluence preservation. Dissolution of vertebrate remains sampled indicate an=
 unexpectedly high rate of structural preservation. Fifteen dinosaur, two c=
rocodilian, one fish, and one turtle were sampled for a total of nineteen s=
pecimens. Specimens were chosen based on sediment type and degree of articu=
lation. Approximately half of the samples were recovered from sandstones, a=
nd the other half originated in mudstones. Additionally, approximately half=
 of the samples were collected from articulated or closely associated skele=
tons, and the other half were taken from isolated bones or specimens from m=
icro vertebrate sites. Of the nineteen specimens tested, eighteen specimens=
 produced &quot;vessel&quot; structures, eighteen had extracellular organic=
-like matter, and seven revealed &quot;osteocyte&quot; structures. Although=
 &quot;vessel&quot; and extracellular organic-like structures are not assoc=
iated to a specific matrix type or degree of association, &quot;osteocyte&q=
uot; structures appear to be associated more often with articulated/associa=
ted specimens, especially if they are preserved in sandstones.<br></div></d=
iv></div>=0A=

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