Scientists have identified chemical traces of ancient blood in a dinosaur fossil dating back 115 million years. The team detected heme, an iron-containing component of haemoglobin, inside mineralised structures resembling red blood cells.
The discovery came from limb bones of Aratasaurus museunacionali, a dinosaur found in northeastern Brazil. Researchers say the findings provide chemical evidence that blood-derived molecules can survive inside dinosaur fossils for millions of years.
Evidence Inside Ancient Bones
The team examined microscopic structures preserved in channels that once carried blood vessels. These structures resembled red blood cells, while chemical tests detected heme-related compounds and signals associated with blood.
Scientists identified amino acids linked to collagen, a protein that provides strength to bones and connective tissues. They compared the fossil’s chemical composition with surrounding material to assess contamination and support the conclusion that the molecules originated inside the specimen.
Professor Kliti Grice of Curtin University led the research team. The researchers published their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, combining microscopic imaging with chemical analysis to support their interpretation.
Minerals May Explain the Preservation
Researchers believe hausmannite, a mineral found in the fossil, helped protect the microscopic structures and molecular traces. It may have acted like a natural capsule, stabilising biological material during fossilisation and allowing compounds to remain detectable.
However, the discovery does not mean intact blood, complete haemoglobin proteins or dinosaur DNA survived. Instead, the fossil contains mineralised structures and chemically altered remnants associated with ancient blood.
The findings could change how scientists investigate fossils by encouraging them to search for molecular evidence alongside features. They may help researchers understand dinosaur physiology and conditions that preserve biological material over geological timescales.
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