Dinosaur DNA? Chromosome-like Structures Found in Hypacrosaurus Fossil

A paper published in the journal National Science Review reports the discovery of cell outlines in the fossil of a Hypacrosaurus.
Hypacrosaurus was a herbivorous ornithopod dinosaur that lived about 75 million years ago. Analysis of the skulls of two juvenile specimens revealed spherical structures resembling cell nuclei and intertwined, coil-like structures that look like chromosomes. The cell nucleus is the organelle that stores DNA, and chromosomes are complexes of protein and DNA visible during cell division. The research team applied special stains that bind to DNA to fragments of the skull fossils. They reported that several fossilized areas were stained, indicating the preservation of DNA.

They say, "This discovery does not mean we can determine the DNA sequence of the dinosaur." The research team believes it has been chemically altered during the fossilization process. However, there have been no previous reports of discovering units smaller than cells in Paleozoic vertebrates. This paper shows that fossils can preserve traces of microscopic cells and molecules.