Remnants of Ancient Life : The New Science of Old Fossils

"We usually think of fossils as being composed of rock, the original contents of the organisms lost to time. However, this is changing. Due to new technologies scientists are able to access the ancient biomolecules--the pigments, proteins, chemicals, and DNA--that once performed critical roles in organisms and have been preserved accross millions of years. In this book, Dale Greenwalt introduces readers to the new science of ancient biomolecules and what it tells about the lives of long extinct life. Ancient biomolecules, as we learn, give us a whole new view into the past. After an introductory explanation of what biomolecules are (and are not), each chapter treats an ancient biomolecule and what it can teach us about a long-dead organism and how it may have lived. For example, analysis of preserved pigmentation has improved our understanding of the evolution of camouflage, feathered dinosaurs, and flight. Ancient proteins aid taxonomic identification and determinations of sex. And ancient DNA-perhaps the best-known ancient biomolecule-can shed light on species' ancestry, including our own. Drawing on a wealth of paleontological research, including his own, Greenwalt traces ancient organic material back millions of years. Throughout, he emphasizes the infancy of this science while the book's conclusion looks ahead to its possible future in everything from the search for life on other planets to de-extinction"-- Provided by publisher The revolution in science that is transforming our understanding of extinct life We used to think of fossils as being composed of nothing but rock and minerals, all molecular traces of life having vanished long ago. We were wrong. Remnants of Ancient Life reveals how the new science of ancient biomolecules―pigments, proteins, and DNA that once functioned in living organisms tens of millions of years ago―is opening a new window onto the evolution of life on Earth. Paleobiologists are now uncovering these ancient remnants in the fossil record with increasing frequency, shedding vital new light on long-extinct creatures and the lost world they inhabited. Dale Greenwalt is your guide to these astonishing breakthroughs. He explains how ancient biomolecules hold the secrets to how mammoths dealt with the bitter cold, what colors dinosaurs exhibited in mating displays, how ancient viruses evolved to become more dangerous, and much more. Each chapter discusses different types of biomolecules and the insights they provide about the physiology, behavior, and evolution of extinct organisms, many of which existed long before the age of dinosaurs. A marvelous adventure of discovery, Remnants of Ancient Life offers an unparalleled look at an emerging science that is transforming our picture of the remote past. You will never think of fossils in the same way again. Cover 1 Contents 6 Acknowledgments 8 Introduction 12 1. A Blood-Engorged Mosquito 17 2. In Situ 32 3. The Purple Fossil 54 4. The Black Pigment 79 5. Dino Feathers 93 6. Ancient Biometals 107 7. Proteins and Proteomes 119 8. Dino Bones 137 9. Ancient DNA’s Tenuous Origins 156 10. Our Inner Neandertal 182 11. Plants 199 12. The Future of Studying the Past 219 Notes 240 Illustration Credits 268 Index 272