Did Scientists Find T. rex DNA? | The Institute for Creation Research

Did Scientists Find T. rex DNA?

Finding dinosaur DNA is as unthinkable to an evolutionist as finding a flat earth would be to a geographer. Thus, a recent report of possible dinosaur DNA promises to meet resistance, even as similar past reports received.1 What is the best interpretation of all the relevant evidence?

Dinosaur soft tissue fossil experts observed that microstructures that look just like bone cells called osteocytes might contain original DNA. They verified the presence of original proteins, including collagen, and elastin in 2009.2 Now, some of the same researchers are revealing the results of further dinosaur cell exploration. They identified the vertebrate-specific proteins actin and PHEX, as well as DNA in the dinosaur cells. Their results appear in the journal Bone.3

The researchers applied two different DNA-sensitive stains to the osteocyte structures. The stains showed faint but visible DNA in a tight central location inside the long-dead cell remnant. This clearly corresponds to the remains of the cellular nucleus, although the study authors did not specify that.

The Bone study authors also applied an antibody that only binds to a DNA-packing protein called histone H4. It, too, bound to its target in the same central region within the dinosaur bone cell as the DNA showed. The stains and antibody did not bind other parts of the cell, nor the mineral matrix that originally surrounded the fossil.

The DNA is in exactly the right place to be dinosaur DNA, but without determining its sequence, it is difficult to be absolutely sure.

However, if it is dinosaur DNA—the most obvious explanation of the data—it cannot be millions of years old. This report was published on the heels of a separate study that determined the decay rate of DNA. It totally precludes the possibility that ancient DNA could last for a hundred thousand years at normal temperatures, much less millions of years.4

If these fossils are really millions of years old, then they would not contain original cells, proteins, or DNA—but they do. However, if the world is only thousands of years old, and if the dinosaur remains were captured by water-borne sediments during Noah's flood only thousands of years ago, then dinosaur DNA in fossils would be possible.

References

  1. For example, see references in: Johnson, J. J. S., J. Tomkins, and B. Thomas. 2009. Dinosaur DNA Research: Is the tale wagging the evidence? Acts & Facts. 38 (10): 4-6.
  2. Schweitzer, M. H. et al. 2009. Biomolecular Characterization and Protein Sequences of the Campanian Hadrosaur B. canadensis. Science. 324 (5927): 626-631.
  3. Schweitzer, M. H. et al. Molecular analyses of dinosaur osteocytes support the presence of endogenous molecules. Bone. Published online before print, October 16, 2012.
  4. Allentoft, M. E. et al. The half-life of DNA in bone: measuring decay kinetics in 158 dated fossils. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Published online before print, October 10, 2012.

* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.

Article posted on November 7, 2012.

The Latest
NEWS
Liberty and the Word of God
“And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts” (Psalm 119:45). July 4th is called Independence Day here in our country because on...

NEWS
July 2025 ICR Wallpaper
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome...

NEWS
Valued Longtime ICR Employee Mary Smith Retires
Mary Morris Smith, an employee of the Institute for Creation Research for many years, has retired. The second daughter of ICR founder Dr. Henry M. Morris...

NEWS
Man of Science, Man of God: George Washington Carver
Who:  George Washington Carver What: Father of Modern Agriculture When: 1864 or 1865 – January 5, 1943 Where: Diamond Grove,...

ACTS & FACTS
The Scopes Monkey Trial: A Battle of Worldviews
Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton, Tennessee, and its statue of William Jennings Bryan Image credit: M. Mueller The Scopes Monkey...

ACTS & FACTS
Long Non-Coding RNAs: The Unsung Heroes of the Genome
Evolutionary theory holds that all living things came about through random, natural processes. So conventional scientists believe the genome has developed...

ACTS & FACTS
Yosemite National Park, Part 1: Tiny Clues of a Grand Picture
Yosemite National Park in California is a sure source of stunning scenery. It’s no wonder that American naturalist John Muir persuaded President...

ACTS & FACTS
From Inference to Theory: A Common Design Case Study
Without a doubt, humans, chimpanzees, and other organisms share similar features. An early explanation was that these features reflect similar designs...

ACTS & FACTS
Creation Kids: T. rex
by Michael Stamp and Susan Windsor* You're never too young to be a creation scientist and explore our Creator's world. Kids, discover...

ACTS & FACTS
Entering By The Door
Recently, I hosted a visiting pastor from a large church at ICR’s Discovery Center. As I guided him through our Dallas museum, one conversation...