Allosaurus bone, blood vessels, cells, and matrix (IMAGE)

Field Museum

Allosaurus bone, blood vessels, cells, and matrix

Caption

Microscopic view of extracted soft tissues from the bones of one of the dinosaur specimens (Allosaurus) that were investigated for metabolic signals (metabolic crosslinks) in the fossilization products of the proteinaceous bone matrix. Fossilization introduces additional crosslinks that, in combination with metabolic crosslinks, generate the characteristic brown color of the fossil extracellular matrix which holds bone cells (dark, ramifying structures) and blood vessels (tube-like structure in the center) in place. © J. Wiemann

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© J. Wiemann

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