Scientists dig up possible Jurassic dino blood sample

A 115-million-year-old dinosaur bone is the last place you'd expect to find traces of blood. But researchers in Brazil may have done just that.

According to a PNAS study published this week, scientists recently uncovered what they say is the strongest evidence yet of preserved dinosaur red blood cells.

Seeing red

Researchers examined a fossil belonging to Aratasaurus museunacionali, a theropod dinosaur who lived in current-day Brazil, and found tiny microscopic structures resembling red blood cells.

• Then, scientists conducted a series of tests that detected the presence of heme, a molecule that helps blood carry oxygen, alongside signs of the molecule’s breakdown over time.
• They also found evidence that certain minerals may have helped preserve heme structures over time.

Why it matters: If the discovery is confirmed, it would help uncover new clues about ancient dinosaur biology, including how their bodies transported oxygen and adapted to environments.

Researchers could also use similar techniques to recover other samples of ancient biological material that scientists didn’t think could have survived,

But…Not everyone is convinced. Some scientists say the structures don't sufficiently resemble red blood cells in dinosaurs' closest living relatives, and more testing is needed to confirm the findings.