Traces of dinosaur blood found for the 1st time?
Scientists have discovered molecular traces of blood and structures resembling red blood cells in a 115-million-year-old dinosaur fossil from Brazil. This finding provides new insights into the biology of extinct species and the preservation of soft tissues.
Why it matters
This discovery challenges previous assumptions about the limits of fossil preservation and offers a rare window into prehistoric biological processes.
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A 115-million-year-old fossil dinosaur bone encased in a dense mat of microbes found in Brazil contains tiny structures resembling red blood cells, and molecular traces of blood.
Along with colleagues from Brazil, Japan and the United States, we reported the discovery on November 2, 2026, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
This is the first direct molecular evidence of compounds from dinosaur blood preserved within structures that look like red blood cells. The find offers an unprecedented window into the biology of extinct animals.
It also expands what we thought possible: that fossils can preserve soft tissues and biomolecules such as blood over millions of years.
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