Scientists report blood traces in dinosaur bone
Fossilised red blood cells found in 115m-year-old dinosaur’s bone, say scientists
Tuesday, 3 November 2026
Photo by Smithsonian on Unsplash
Warm-up
- What do you know about dinosaurs from films or books?
- Have you ever visited a science or natural history museum? What did you see?
- How can fossils help us understand life in the past?
Vocabulary
- fossil
- The remains or mark of an ancient plant or animal preserved in rock.
- microscope
- A device that makes very small things look bigger so we can see them.
- molecule
- A very small particle made of atoms; it forms chemicals like water or heme.
- oxygen
- A gas in the air that people and animals need to breathe.
- tissue
- A group of similar cells in a body, like muscle or skin.
- controversial
- Causing disagreement because people have different strong opinions.
- preserve
- To keep something in good condition or stop it from breaking down.
- debate
- A discussion where people give different opinions about a question.
Reading
Listen to this story
British EnglishScientists say they found signs of fossil red blood cells inside the hind leg bone of an Aratasaurus, a small meat-eating dinosaur from what is now north-eastern Brazil about 115m years ago.
Electron microscope images showed round structures that resembled blood cells in tiny channels. Chemical tests detected heme, the molecule that helps blood carry oxygen.
The fossils were found in a mine in 2008 and are held at the National Museum of Brazil. The study was led by Prof Kliti Grice at Curtin University and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The team also reported traces of amino acids, the building blocks of collagen, a key protein in connective and other tissues. They suggested a manganese mineral called hausmannite may help preserve such material.
The claim is controversial and has sparked debate. Prof Mary Schweitzer of North Carolina State University was not convinced the structures are red blood cells, although she agreed that finding heme and collagen is promising. The researchers stress they are not looking for movie-style DNA.
Comprehension
- What animal’s bone did scientists study?
- What did images and tests suggest was inside the bone?
- Where and when did this dinosaur live?
- Who led the study and where do they work?
- What view did Prof Mary Schweitzer express?
Grammar focus
Connecting words
Connecting words link ideas and show relationships: and (addition), but/although (contrast), because (reason), so (result). Use them to make clear, logical sentences. (Examples constructed.)
- Heme was detected, so the result looked promising.
- Some images seemed like cells, but others were doubtful.
Grammar exercise
Choose the correct option in each sentence.
- The claim is debated (because / so) it is controversial.
- They detected heme, (but / so) doubts remained.
- Images showed shapes, (although / so) some disagreed.
- The study found heme, (because / so) that is promising.
- Some agree, (because / but) others are unconvinced.
Discussion
- Should scientists re-test old fossils with new tools? Why or why not?
- How do films like Jurassic Park shape our ideas about dinosaurs?
- What makes a scientific claim trustworthy to you?
- Would you like to work in a museum lab? Why or why not?
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