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Molecular preservation of the pigment melanin in fossil melanosomes

Author

Listed:
  • Johan Lindgren

    (Lund University)

  • Per Uvdal

    (MAX-IV laboratory, Lund University
    Chemical Physics, Lund University)

  • Peter Sjövall

    (SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Chemistry and Materials)

  • Dan E. Nilsson

    (Lund University)

  • Anders Engdahl

    (MAX-IV laboratory, Lund University)

  • Bo Pagh Schultz

    (Museum Salling – Fur Museum)

  • Volker Thiel

    (Geobiology Group, Geoscience Centre, University of Göttingen)

Abstract

Fossil feathers, hairs and eyes are regularly preserved as carbonized traces comprised of masses of micrometre-sized bodies that are spherical, oblate or elongate in shape. For a long time, these minute structures were regarded as the remains of biofilms of keratinophilic bacteria, but recently they have been reinterpreted as melanosomes; that is, colour-bearing organelles. Resolving this fundamental difference in interpretation is crucial: if endogenous then the fossil microbodies would represent a significant advancement in the fields of palaeontology and evolutionary biology given, for example, the possibility to reconstruct integumentary colours and plumage colour patterns. It has previously been shown that certain trace elements occur in fossils as organometallic compounds, and hence may be used as biomarkers for melanin pigments. Here we expand this knowledge by demonstrating the presence of molecularly preserved melanin in intimate association with melanosome-like microbodies isolated from an argentinoid fish eye from the early Eocene of Denmark.

Suggested Citation

  • Johan Lindgren & Per Uvdal & Peter Sjövall & Dan E. Nilsson & Anders Engdahl & Bo Pagh Schultz & Volker Thiel, 2012. "Molecular preservation of the pigment melanin in fossil melanosomes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 3(1), pages 1-7, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:3:y:2012:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms1819
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1819
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    Cited by:

    1. Tiffany S. Slater & Shosuke Ito & Kazumasa Wakamatsu & Fucheng Zhang & Peter Sjövall & Martin Jarenmark & Johan Lindgren & Maria E. McNamara, 2023. "Taphonomic experiments reveal authentic molecular signals for fossil melanins and verify preservation of phaeomelanin in fossils," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.

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