World

Fossilised red blood cells found in 115m-year-old dinosaur’s bone, say scientists

Read full article at source ↗

Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 02/11/2026, 20:24:25 UTC.

Briefings

Scientists analyzed hind leg bones of an 115-million-year-old Aratasaurus from north-eastern Brazil and identified heme, the organic compound responsible for blood's oxygen-carrying capacity. This discovery suggests the dinosaur may have possessed functional red blood cells, potentially opening a Jurassic Park-style scenario. The analysis focused on chemical composition of the bone tissue, revealing traces of the molecule that defines avian blood coloration.

Key points

• Researchers identified heme in Aratasaurus hind leg bones, a molecule essential for oxygen transport in blood.
• The discovery occurred in a small, meat-eating dinosaur that lived in north-eastern Brazil 115 million years ago.

Context

Analysis of Aratasaurus hind leg bones revealed chemical traces of heme, the organic compound enabling blood to carry oxygen. This finding suggests the dinosaur may have had functional red blood cells, potentially opening a Jurassic Park-style scenario.

Limitations

Evidence is limited to chemical analysis of hind leg bones from a single specimen. The presence of heme does not confirm functional red blood cells or physiological processes, as the sample size and preservation state are unknown.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 02/11/2026, 20:25:05 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

View archived briefing on IPFS
bafybeibaulltejnuwmeixtozpays2mzvttr6rbzkgblgvpqh3zxbstrifu