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Science 25 March 2005:
Vol. 307. no. 5717, pp. 1952 - 1955
DOI: 10.1126/science.1108397
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Reports

Soft-Tissue Vessels and Cellular Preservation in Tyrannosaurus rex

Mary H. Schweitzer,1,2,3* Jennifer L. Wittmeyer,1 John R. Horner,3 Jan K. Toporski4{dagger}

Soft tissues are preserved within hindlimb elements of Tyrannosaurus rex (Museum of the Rockies specimen 1125). Removal of the mineral phase reveals transparent, flexible, hollow blood vessels containing small round microstructures that can be expressed from the vessels into solution. Some regions of the demineralized bone matrix are highly fibrous, and the matrix possesses elasticity and resilience. Three populations of microstructures have cell-like morphology. Thus, some dinosaurian soft tissues may retain some of their original flexibility, elasticity, and resilience.

1 Department of Marine, Earth, Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
2 North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA.
3 Museum of the Rockies, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
4 Carnegie Institution of Washington, Geophysical Laboratory, 5251 Broad Branch Road N.W., Washington, DC 20018, USA.

{dagger} Present address: Department of Geosciences, Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, Olshausenstrasse 40, 24098 Kiel, Germany.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: schweitzer{at}ncsu.edu.

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Biomolecular Characterization and Protein Sequences of the Campanian Hadrosaur B. canadensis.
M. H. Schweitzer, W. Zheng, C. L. Organ, R. Avci, Z. Suo, L. M. Freimark, V. S. Lebleu, M. B. Duncan, M. G. Vander Heiden, J. M. Neveu, et al. (2009)
Science 324, 626-631
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Response to Comment on "Protein Sequences from Mastodon and Tyrannosaurus rex Revealed by Mass Spectrometry".
J. M. Asara and M. H. Schweitzer (2008)
Science 319, 33d
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Analyses of Soft Tissue from Tyrannosaurus rex Suggest the Presence of Protein.
M. H. Schweitzer, Z. Suo, R. Avci, J. M. Asara, M. A. Allen, F. T. Arce, and J. R. Horner (2007)
Science 316, 277-280
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Protein Sequences from Mastodon and Tyrannosaurus Rex Revealed by Mass Spectrometry.
J. M. Asara, M. H. Schweitzer, L. M. Freimark, M. Phillips, and L. C. Cantley (2007)
Science 316, 280-285
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Soft tissue and cellular preservation in vertebrate skeletal elements from the Cretaceous to the present.
M. H. Schweitzer, J. L Wittmeyer, and J. R Horner (2007)
Proc R Soc B 274, 183-197
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
High-fidelity organic preservation of bone marrow in ca. 10 Ma amphibians.
M. E. McNamara, P. J. Orr, S. L. Kearns, L. Alcala, P. Anadon, and E. Penalver-Molla (2006)
Geology 34, 641-644
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Gender-Specific Reproductive Tissue in Ratites and Tyrannosaurus rex.
M. H. Schweitzer, J. L. Wittmeyer, and J. R. Horner (2005)
Science 308, 1456-1460
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)