Study claims 'DNA' found preserved in 75 million years old dinosaur fossils

The researchers have reportedly discovered the DNA preserved in the skull fragments of Hypacrosaurus, a duck-billed herbivore from the Cretaceous period. The fossils date back to at least 75 million years ago. The tiny cluster of the specimen known as nestlings was found existing in circular structures, some linked together, while other floating apart on the bones of the herbivore species, confirmed reports.

The study published in the scientific journal National Science Review claims that extremely old signatures of cartilage cells, chromosomes and DNA  resembling cell nucleus have survived on fossils after the final stage of cell division. The researchers stated in the study that they found "the organic matrix surrounding the fossilized cartilage cells reacted to antibodies of Collagen II," which they further explained as "the dominant protein in cartilage in all vertebrates".

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Some scientists have a contrary opinion

Mary Schweitzer, the study's co-author, further derived the findings saying, “This immunological test supports the presence of remnants of original cartilaginous proteins in this dinosaur”. The researchers, therefore, are claiming that they have, in fact, discovered the oldest alive DNA strain on the fossil of a species from million years ago. This further concludes that the original molecules or protein was capable of surviving as a remnant after the cell division. This has led to a controversy as some scientists believed that it wasn’t possible for cells to stay alive for that much longer.

Evan Saitta, a researcher from the Integrative Research Center at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, said in a media report that the organic material that has been discovered was understood to be among the least stable biomolecules over long periods of time. He said that under the heat of deep burial during fossilization the cells are likely to degenerate. He admitted to having been shocked to learn the age of the samples.

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