IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v10y2019i1d10.1038_s41467-019-10087-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Pheomelanin pigment remnants mapped in fossils of an extinct mammal

Author

Listed:
  • Phillip L. Manning

    (University of Manchester, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life
    Department of Geology and Environmental Geoscience, College of Charleston)

  • Nicholas P. Edwards

    (Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

  • Uwe Bergmann

    (Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

  • Jennifer Anné

    (The Children’s Museum of Indianpolis)

  • William I. Sellers

    (University of Manchester, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life)

  • Arjen Veelen

    (University of Southampton, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences)

  • Dimosthenis Sokaras

    (Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

  • Victoria M. Egerton

    (University of Manchester, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life
    The Children’s Museum of Indianpolis)

  • Roberto Alonso-Mori

    (Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

  • Konstantin Ignatyev

    (Diamond Light Source)

  • Bart E. Dongen

    (University of Manchester, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life)

  • Kazumasa Wakamatsu

    (Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences)

  • Shosuke Ito

    (Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences)

  • Fabien Knoll

    (University of Manchester, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life
    ARAID—Fundación Conjunto Paleontológico de Teruel-Dinópolis)

  • Roy A. Wogelius

    (University of Manchester, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Williamson Research Centre for Molecular Environmental Science & Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life)

Abstract

Recent progress has been made in paleontology with respect to resolving pigmentation in fossil material. Morphological identification of fossilized melanosomes has been one approach, while a second methodology using chemical imaging and spectroscopy has also provided critical information particularly concerning eumelanin (black pigment) residue. In this work we develop the chemical imaging methodology to show that organosulfur-Zn complexes are indicators of pheomelanin (red pigment) in extant and fossil soft tissue and that the mapping of these residual biochemical compounds can be used to restore melanin pigment distribution in a 3 million year old extinct mammal species (Apodemus atavus). Synchotron Rapid Scanning X-ray Fluorescence imaging showed that the distributions of Zn and organic S are correlated within this fossil fur just as in pheomelanin-rich modern integument. Furthermore, Zn coordination chemistry within this fossil fur is closely comparable to that determined from pheomelanin-rich fur and hair standards. The non-destructive methods presented here provide a protocol for detecting residual pheomelanin in precious specimens.

Suggested Citation

  • Phillip L. Manning & Nicholas P. Edwards & Uwe Bergmann & Jennifer Anné & William I. Sellers & Arjen Veelen & Dimosthenis Sokaras & Victoria M. Egerton & Roberto Alonso-Mori & Konstantin Ignatyev & Ba, 2019. "Pheomelanin pigment remnants mapped in fossils of an extinct mammal," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-10087-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10087-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-10087-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-019-10087-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-10087-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.