Pheomelanin pigment remnants mapped in fossils of an extinct mammal

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, Bart E. Dongen, Kazumasa Wakamatsu, Shosuke Ito, Fabien Knoll and Roy A. Wogelius ()
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Phillip L. Manning: University of Manchester, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life
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
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
Roy A. Wogelius: University of Manchester, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Williamson Research Centre for Molecular Environmental Science & Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: 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.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10087-2

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