9753187 Schweitzer The goal of this study is to characterize the immunogenicity and antigenicity of organic compounds associated with unpermineralized bony tissues from Cretaceous specimens. The specific aims are to chemically extract minimally altered tissues and to characterize components within these extracts through a variety of analytical and reflect original molecular structure can be extracted from fossilized remains and that the immunological reactivity of these compounds can be used to study evolutionary relationships of extinct organisms. Technological advances in the last two decades have greatly increased the sensitivity of molecular analyses. Application of these technologies to ancient tissues has made it possible to extract molecular information from extinct organisms, shedding light on phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary processes. Molecular paleontology has focused primarily on Holocene remains with remarkable success; application of these same technologies to Cretaceous specimens is uncommon. However, recent studies have demonstrated the feasibility of applying immunological methods to well preserved and minimally altered Cretaceous specimens.
