Dinosaur soft tissue and protein—even more confirmation!
Mary Schweitzer announces even stronger evidence, this time from a duckbilled dino
fossil, of even more proteins—and the same amazingly preserved vessel and
cell structures as before.
by Carl Wieland
Image: Dr Mary Schweitzer
Cells and connective tissue can be clearly seen.
Published: 6 May 2009(GMT+10)
Background
Creationists were fascinated, and evolutionists mostly skeptical, when evolutionist
Dr Mary Schweitzer claimed in the 1990s that an unfossilized piece of
T. rex bone contained red blood cells. Further, that there was
immunological and spectroscopic evidence of the presence of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying
protein that gives red blood cells their colour.1
Then in 2005, Schweitzer announced a further sensational discovery in a different
T.rex bone. After the mineral matrix was dissolved,2 what remained were structures with all the appearance
of soft tissue, still soft and stretchy.
Some of these appeared to be transparent branching blood vessels, with a substance
inside them containing further structures looking just like nucleated red blood
cells, and able to be squeezed out of the vessels like toothpaste.
How could such fragile structures survive for millions of years? Long-agers went
into intense, but not very effective damage control, such as seen in the item (containing
CMI’s response) Squirming at the Squishosaur.
Gradually, further evidence strengthened the case that Schweitzer had indeed discovered
evidence of astonishing preservation of organic material in fossils. In 2007, in
Squashing Squishosaur Scepticism, we reported that she
and her team had performed careful tests to establish the presence of the protein
collagen in the dino fossil—an important protein in bone. They were even able
to sequence stretches of it, which showed that it was 58% similar to collagen from
a chicken, and 51% similar to that from a frog.3
Fragile, complex molecules like proteins, even if hermetically sealed, should fall
apart all by themselves… in well under 65 million years
It has been pointed out many times that fragile, complex molecules like proteins,
even if hermetically sealed, should fall apart all by themselves from thermodynamic
considerations alone in well under the 65 million years that evolutionists insist
have passed since Schweitzer’s T. rex specimen was entombed.4,5
Furthermore, bones of an Iguanodon allegedly twice as old (“dated”
to 120 Ma) contained enough of the protein osteocalcin to produce an immune reaction.6
Many anti-creationists therefore breathed a sigh of relief when in mid-2008 a paper
claimed to have found evidence that the transparent blood vessels, for instance,
were the result of recent bacterial formation of biofilms, forming “endocasts”
that followed the shape of where the original vessels lay, and that the red blood
cells are actually iron-rich spheres called framboids. There were substantial reasons
why not just creationists, but Schweitzer and other non-creationists were not at
all convinced by these claims—see Doubting doubts about
the Squishosaur.
The new findings
An illustration of a real type of ‘duck-billed’ dinosaur known as a
Hadrosaur.
Now comes a further announcement by Schweitzer and others, in the prestigious journal
Science, of substantial additional evidence to bolster her previous findings.7 The specimen on this occasion
was a piece of fossil hadrosaur (duckbilled dinosaur) bone (Brachylophosaurus canadensis)
regarded by evolutionary assumptions as being 80 million years old.
In short, the researchers found evidence of “the same fibrous matrix, transparent,
flexible vessels, and preserved microstructures she had seen in the T. rex
sample”.8 Only this
time they went to exceptional lengths to silence critics.
Critics said that her claims, which given the millions of years perspective are
indeed “extraordinary”, required extraordinary evidence. But this is
a cliché; in reality, they just require evidence, and that has been
amply provided. Yet the critics demanded additional protein sequencing, super-careful
handling to avoid claims of contamination, and confirmation from other laboratories.
So Schweitzer and her team set about doing just that when they looked at the leg
bone of this hadrosaur encased in sandstone.
Extraordinary measures were taken to keep the sample away from contamination until
it reached the lab. They used an even more sophisticated and newer mass spectrometer,
and sent the samples to two other labs for confirmation. They reported
finding not just collagen, but evidence of two additional proteins—elastin
and laminin. They also found structures uncannily resembling
the cells found in both blood and bone, as well as cellular basement membrane matrix.
And there were, once again, hints of hemoglobin, gleaned from applying hemoglobin-specific
antibodies to the structures and seeing if the antibodies would bind to them.
Some scientists are still skeptical about the hemoglobin, which is “difficult
to identify with current technology”. Dr Pavel Pevzner of the University of
California, was quoted as saying that if it is not a contaminant, it would be “much
bigger news [than the confirmed discoveries of blood vessels and other connective
tissues in] this paper.”9
Even leaving aside the hemoglobin, the Schweitzer et al paper is huge news.
Pevzner had been critical of the technique used in Schweitzer’s analysis of
the T. rex protein, but now he says that her new study “was ‘done
the right way,’ with more stringent controls to guard against contamination”,
for one thing.
There were eight collagen proteins alone discovered from the hadrosaur fossil, which
revealed twice as many amino acids as the previous tyrannosaur specimen. These were
compared with sequences from animals living today as well as from mastodon fossils
and her T. rex sequences. The hadrosaur and tyrannosaur collagens were
closer to each other than the others, and each were closer to chickens and ostriches
than to crocodilians, for instance—results which would also confirm her previous
identification of T. rex collagen.
The samples were identified as collagen by both sophisticated mass spectroscopy
and antibody-binding techniques. They were also examined via both light and electron
microscopy, which confirmed that they had the appearance of collagen as well.
As Schweitzer says, “These data not only build upon what we got from the T.
rex, they take the research even further.”
Power of the paradigm
These data [from a hadrosaur] not only build upon what we got from the T. rex,
they take the research even further.—Dr Mary Schweitzer.
Philosophers of science have written much about the power of a paradigm, especially
when it has worldview implications, such as long-age belief. Such a paradigm is
seldom, if ever, overthrown simply because of observations that contradict its expectations.
Even Schweitzer herself, despite professing to be an evangelical Christian, is extremely
defensive about the old-age paradigm—see Schweitzer’s
Dangerous Discovery.
What happens is that “auxiliary” hypotheses and assumptions are constructed
to preserve the intactness of the “core” hypothesis, in this case what
is known as “deep time” (see further explanation).
In simple terms, proteins should simply not have been able to last for these tens
of millions of years. So when they are found in specimens dated this old, the paradigm
is under serious threat.
The most straightforward fit to the evidence is that the time of burial of these
dinosaurs was not millions of years ago at all, but only thousands of years ago
at most. As the evidence continues to mount that dinosaur fossils do indeed contain
well-preserved soft tissue structures and identifiable proteins, the assumption
that will increasingly be made is that “we now know that such tissue components
can last that long, after all.”
Not many will see this as the paradigm-rescuing assumption that it is. Consider
the line of reasoning:
1). We know that this dinosaur fossil is 80 million years old.
2). Calculations based on operational (observational) science
indicate that no collagen should survive anywhere near that long.
3). Collagen has been identified in these dinosaur fossils. Therefore:
4). There must be a mistaken assumption in the calculations mentioned in Point 2)—though
we don’t know for sure how, collagen must be able to survive for 80 million
years. How do we know that? Because
5). We know that this dinosaur fossil is 80 million years old.
Notice how points 1) and 5) are identical, revealing the circularity. The following
chain of reasoning is far more science-based:
1). This dinosaur fossil is claimed to be 80 million years old.
2). Calculations based on operational (observational) science indicate that no collagen
should survive anywhere near that long.
3). Collagen has been identified in these dinosaur fossils. Therefore:
4). The claim in point 1) is wrong. The fossil cannot be anywhere near that old.
This matches the expectations of a worldview based on the history given to us in
the book of Genesis.
We hope that many readers will be able to use this sort of evidence to gently pry
open many closed minds.
Update 9 May 2009: see answer
to a critic who disputes that these findings are a big deal.
Further update 10 August 2009: Schweitzer’s original find
of soft tissue remains in a T. rex was strongly disputed, with some suggesting
that the proteins found were the result of contamination. However, a reanalysis
due to be published September 4 in the Journal of Proteome Research “has
confirmed traces of protein from blood and bone, tendons, or cartilage.” (Reexamination
Of T. Rex Verifies Disputed Biochemical Remains,
www.ScienceDaily.com, July 31, 2009)
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Postscript: Phil Currie on Mary Schweitzer’s finds
When the DVD of CMI’s major documentary The Voyage
that Shook the World is released in mid-2009, the “extras”
menu has several of the experts featuring in the documentary giving extended interviews
on related subjects. One of these is evolutionist and world-renowned dinosaur expert
Dr Phil Currie, who talks about Mary Schweitzer’s astonishing finds, prior
to this latest research, and how the “paradigm is shifting”. There are
many ways in which this DVD can be used to break down barriers of resistance to
the gospel. Don’t miss it! Click through to
CMI’s home page to get more info about the film or see a trailer.
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Further reading
Related resources
References
- Schweitzer, M.H. et al.,
Heme compounds in dinosaur trabecular bone, Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences of the USA 94:6291–6296, June 1997.
Return to text.
- With the strong chelating agent EDTA that extracted metal
ions from the mineral while leaving proteins intact. Return to text.
- To put this into perspective, human and frog collagen is 81%
similar. Return to text.
- Nielsen-Marsch, C.,
Biomolecules in fossil remains: Multidisciplinary approach to endurance, The
Biochemist, pp. 12–14, June2002. Return to text.
- Doyle, S., The real ‘Jurassic Park’? Creation
30(3):12–15, 2008. Return to text.
- Embery G. et al.,
Identification of proteinaceous material in the bone of the dinosaur Iguanodon,
Connect Tissue Res. 44 Suppl 1:41–6, 2003; . The
abstract says: ‘an early eluting fraction was immunoreactive with an antibody
against osteocalcin.’ Return to text.
- Schweitzer, M.H. et al., “Biomolecular
characterization and protein sequences of the Campanian hadrosaur B. canadensis”,
Science 324(5927):626–631, 1 May 2009 | DOI: 10.1126/science.1165069,
<www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/324/5927/626?ijkey=47dc1272e069cf51caab0651d4462cbe5045f92c>
Return to text.
- “Proteins, Soft Tissue from 80 Million-Year-Old Hadrosaur
Show that Molecules Preserve Over Time”,
www.physorg.com/news160320581.html, accessed 3 May 2009. Return
to text.
- Oldest Dinosaur Protein Found—Blood Vessels, More, nationalgeographic.com,
May 1, 2009. The insert in square brackets was in the original from this source.
Return to text.
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