PIs and collaborators will attempt to extract DNA from preserved cells in an exquisitely preserved skeleton of the Upper Cretaceous dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex, from the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. Within vascular canals and in the marrow cavities of leg bones, PIs have found spherical structures that have the appearance of nucleated red blood cells. Preliminary analyses of these structures indicate the presence of proteins and nucleic acids. An attempt will be made to extract DNA from these apparent red blood cell remnants. If successful, these results could be of great significance to our understanding of dinosaur phylogeny, and will also be of great interest to the growing community of scientists attempting to extract DNA from fossil material.
