Despite decades of effort, scientists have never been able to recover dinosaur DNA. Most paleontology research today focuses on finding traces of original organic matter in fossils, but DNA has not survived the passage of time.
Much of what we understand about dinosaurs comes from fossil bones and teeth. These durable remains are well preserved, but they provide only limited information about how these animals actually lived.
Soft tissues, on the other hand, can reveal much more. These rare fossil materials include muscles and ligaments, pigments or even skin (such as scales or feathers). They provide important clues about appearance, movements and behavior.
Another type of soft tissue that is sometimes preserved inside bones are blood vessels. My research team and I identified preserved blood vessels in a Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil, and our findings were recently published in Scientific Reports.
A discovery that started with physics
As a graduate physics student at the University of Regina, I joined a research group that used particle accelerators to study fossils. During that time, I used advanced 3D imaging techniques to investigate T. Rex Bone and observed structures that appeared to be blood vessels.
Nearly six years later, I am now pursuing a PhD and continuing to apply physics-based methods to improve the way we analyze fossils.
The largest T. Rex ever found
The preserved vessels came from an extraordinary specimen named Scotty. Scotty, housed in the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Canada, is the largest T. Rex One of the most complete yet discovered.
Evidence suggests that Scotti lived a hard life about 66 million years ago. Many of its bones show marks of injury, possibly from a fight with another dinosaur or from disease. A rib is exposed, revealing a large fracture that has only partially healed.
When bones become damaged, the body increases blood vessel activity in the affected area to aid healing. The structures we saw in Scotty’s rib appear to be part of that process, creating a dense network of mineralized vessels that we have reconstructed using 3D models.
Advanced imaging reveals hidden structures
Studying the inside of fossil bones presents two major challenges. First, researchers need to look inside without damaging the specimen. Second, fossilized bones are extremely dense because minerals have replaced the original organic matter over millions of years.
We initially considered using a computed topography (CT) scan similar to those used in medicine. Although this method is non-destructive, standard CT scanners cannot penetrate the dense structure of large fossils.
Instead, we turned to synchrotron light, a powerful form of high-intensity X-rays produced at special particle accelerator facilities. This technique allowed us to see small internal features such as blood vessels with remarkable clarity.
Synchrotron imaging also made it possible to analyze the chemical composition of the structures. The vessels were preserved as iron-rich mineralized casts, a common fossilization process. Interestingly, they appeared in two distinct layers, indicating a complex environmental history that contributed to their preservation.
What do blood vessels tell us about the lives of dinosaurs?
A partially healed fracture in Scotty’s rib provides a rare opportunity to study how T. Rex Recovered from injury. By examining preserved blood vessels, researchers can gain information about healing processes and survival strategies in large predatory dinosaurs.
The work may also provide a basis for comparison with other dinosaur species and modern animals such as birds, which are closely related to dinosaurs.
These findings may also guide future fossil discoveries. Bones that show signs of injury or disease are more likely to preserve blood vessels or other soft tissues, helping scientists target promising samples.
With a combination of physics, paleontology, and advanced imaging technologies, researchers are beginning to uncover details about dinosaur biology that were once thought impossible to study.