Molecular preservation of the pigment melanin in fossil melanosomes

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