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Presentation:
“New Approaches to Paleontological Investigation – Defining the Limits of Biomolecular Survival: Approaches and Perspectives”
Abstract: Over a half century has passed since Abelson and Hoering observed amino acids in fossils, strengthening their hope that an indigenous biogeochemical signal existed over times. In 1990 we published isotope data on organic material from Late Cretaceous vertebrates that appeared to demonstrate food web relationships. This suggested the retention of indigenous organic remains within fossils. This result had enormous implications because proteins, like DNA, offer phylogenetic information. However, the indigeneity of the material remains uncertain and we began our efforts to unambiguously identify the origin of fossil biomolecules. This presentation will discuss our efforts to examine the persistence and survival of proteins and DNA in fossils and to relate these to the mineralogical characteristics of bone.
Our approach relies on highly sensitive techniques mass spectrometric techniques (MALDI-TOF and Electrospray Ionization) for protein sequencing, amino acid racimization in open systems (bone) and closed intracrystalline matrices. These results are examined in relationship to bone mineral properties including mercury porisimetry, crystallinity and small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) to measure pore size and changes in the mineral shape and size. We confirm the existence of bone proteins via complete sequencing. Because proteins may exists farther back in time than DNA, we open a new opportunity to addressed phylogenetic origins of extinct taxa.
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