JOURNAL ARTICLE

The first record of fossilized soft parts in ossified tendons and implications for the understanding of tendon mineralization.

  • Published In: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2023, v. 198, n. 3. P. 747 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Surmik, Dawid; Słowiak-Morkovina, Justyna; Szczygielski, Tomasz; Wojtyniak, Marcin; Środek, Dorota; Dulski, Mateusz; Balin, Katarzyna; Krzykawski, Tomasz; Pawlicki, Roman 3 of 3

Abstract

This article focuses on the preservation and detailed analysis of fossilized soft tissues, including collagen fibers, blood vessels, and cells, within ossified tendons of Late Cretaceous ornithischian dinosaurs from North America and Central East Asia. Using advanced imaging and spectroscopic techniques, the study identifies well-preserved coarse collagenous fiber bundles embedded in mineralized matrices and demonstrates that tendon ossification in both avian and non-avian dinosaurs shares histogenetic principles. Preservation pathways involve iron-induced crosslinking and alumino-silicification, linked to specific burial environments, enabling exceptional soft tissue fossilization beyond previously documented bone and cartilage. The findings suggest ossified tendons are a valuable and underutilized source for molecular and taphonomic data in dinosaur paleobiology.

Additional Information

  • Source:Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 2023/07, Vol. 198, Issue 3, p747
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Science
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:0024-4082
  • DOI:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad001
  • Accession Number:164689896
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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