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Using Macro- and Microscale Preservation in Vertebrate Fossils as Predictors for Molecular Preservation in Fluvial Environments

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dc.contributor.authorColleary, Caitlinen
dc.contributor.authorO'Reilly, Shaneen
dc.contributor.authorDolocan, Andreien
dc.contributor.authorToyoda, Jason G.en
dc.contributor.authorChu, Rosalie K.en
dc.contributor.authorTfaily, Malak M.en
dc.contributor.authorHochella, Michael F. Jr.en
dc.contributor.authorNesbitt, Sterling J.en
dc.date.accessioned2022-10-10T15:00:10Zen
dc.date.available2022-10-10T15:00:10Zen
dc.date.issued2022-09en
dc.description.abstractExceptionally preserved fossils retain soft tissues and often the biomolecules that were present in an animal during its life. The majority of terrestrial vertebrate fossils are not traditionally considered exceptionally preserved, with fossils falling on a spectrum ranging from very well-preserved to poorly preserved when considering completeness, morphology and the presence of microstructures. Within this variability of anatomical preservation, high-quality macro-scale preservation (e.g., articulated skeletons) may not be reflected in molecular-scale preservation (i.e., biomolecules). Excavation of the Hayden Quarry (HQ; Chinle Formation, Ghost Ranch, NM, USA) has resulted in the recovery of thousands of fossilized vertebrate specimens. This has contributed greatly to our knowledge of early dinosaur evolution and paleoenvironmental conditions during the Late Triassic Period (similar to 212 Ma). The number of specimens, completeness of skeletons and fidelity of osteohistological microstructures preserved in the bone all demonstrate the remarkable quality of the fossils preserved at this locality. Because the Hayden Quarry is an excellent example of good preservation in a fluvial environment, we have tested different fossil types (i.e., bone, tooth, coprolite) to examine the molecular preservation and overall taphonomy of the HQ to determine how different scales of preservation vary within a single locality. We used multiple high-resolution mass spectrometry techniques (TOF-SIMS, GC-MS, FT-ICR MS) to compare the fossils to unaltered bone from extant vertebrates, experimentally matured bone, and younger dinosaurian skeletal material from other fluvial environments. FT-ICR MS provides detailed molecular information about complex mixtures, and TOF-SIMS has high elemental spatial sensitivity. Using these techniques, we did not find convincing evidence of a molecular signal that can be confidently interpreted as endogenous, indicating that very good macro- and microscale preservation are not necessarily good predictors of molecular preservation.en
dc.description.notesA member of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI), supported by NSF grants ECCS 1542100, ECCS 2025151, and NSF EAR 1349667 (to SJN). NanoEarth is also supported by Virginia Tech's Institute for Critical and Applied Sciences (ICTAS). A portion of this research was performed on a project award (50015) from the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), a DOE Office of Science User Facility sponsored by the Biological and Environmental Research program under Contract No. DE-AC05-76RL01830. TOF-SIMS analyses in this study were funded by a Virginia Space Grant Graduate STEM Research Fellowship awarded to CC. Travel and advisory support for this study were also provided by the Virginia Tech National Center for Earth and Environmental Nanotechnology Infrastructure (NanoEarth).en
dc.description.sponsorshipNSF [ECCS 1542100, ECCS 2025151, NSF EAR 1349667]; Virginia Tech's Institute for Critical and Applied Sciences (ICTAS); Biological and Environmental Research program [DE-AC05-76RL01830, 50015]; Virginia Space Grant Graduate STEM Research Fellowshipen
dc.description.versionPublished versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.3390/biology11091304en
dc.identifier.eissn2079-7737en
dc.identifier.issue9en
dc.identifier.other1304en
dc.identifier.pmid36138783en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/112121en
dc.identifier.volume11en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherMDPIen
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en
dc.subjectmolecular taphonomyen
dc.subjectfossilsen
dc.subjectpreservationen
dc.subjectmass spectrometryen
dc.subjectdinosaursen
dc.titleUsing Macro- and Microscale Preservation in Vertebrate Fossils as Predictors for Molecular Preservation in Fluvial Environmentsen
dc.title.serialBiology-Baselen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten

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