They’ve finally found a fossilized mosquito full of prehistoric blood! So a real Jurassic Park is right around the corner, right? Trace explains what exactly this discovery means, and if this means you’ll be visiting Isla Nublar any time soon.
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Hemoglobin-derived porphyrins preserved in a Middle Eocene blood-engorged mosquito
“Although hematophagy is found in ?14,000 species of extant insects, the fossil record of blood-feeding insects is extremely poor and largely confined to specimens identified as hematophagic based on their taxonomic affinities with extant hematophagic insects; direct evidence of hematophagy is limited to four insect fossils in which trypanosomes and the malarial protozoan Plasmodium have been found.”
A Fossilized Blood-Engorged Mosquito Is Found For the First Time Ever
“In the 20 years since the movie Jurassic Park fantasized about how dinosaurs could be cloned from blood found in ancient amber-trapped mosquitoes, fossil collectors have been on the hunt for a similar specimen. Over the years, a few different groups of scientists have claimed to find a fossilized mosquito with ancient blood trapped in its abdomen, but each of these teams’ discoveries, in turn, turned out to be the result of error or contamination.”
First Fossil of Blood-Filled Mosquito Discovered
“Through a series of events that scientists themselves admit was “extremely improbable,” a mosquito that feasted on the blood of Eocene animals some 46 million years ago managed to die and become trapped in sediment, but remain in tact, all while carrying a belly full of blood – its last meal.”
How long does DNA last?
“Human DNA has been recovered from a Neanderthal fossil 70,000 years old. That’s a record, but there may be plenty of DNA recoverable from a human body 10, 50 or even 150 years after death.”
Shades of ‘Jurassic Park;’ Ancient mosquito’s last blood supper trapped in fossil, study says
“In a steamy tropical forest 46 million years ago, a prehistoric mosquito bit a critter, drew blood and was blown into a lake in what is now northwestern Montana. Belly full, she died and sank.”
DNA has a 521-year half-life
“Few researchers have given credence to claims that samples of dinosaur DNA have survived to the present day, but no one knew just how long it would take for genetic material to fall apart. Now, a study of fossils found in New Zealand is laying the matter to rest – and putting an end to hopes of cloning a Tyrannosaurus rex.”
‘Jurassic Park’ May Be Impossible, But Dino DNA Lasts Longer Than Thought
“In “Jurassic Park,” scientists extract 80-million-year-old dino DNA from the bellies of mosquitoes trapped in amber. Researchers may never be able to extract genetic material that old and bring a T. rex back to life, but a new study suggests DNA can survive in fossils longer than previously believed.”
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