April 1, 2005

The Soft Side of 'T. Rex'

By RICHARD MONASTERSKY

Paleontologists have taken a rare look inside the bones of several Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons and found soft, rubbery material that is not fossilized and that appears to be intact blood vessels and blood cells, which have never before been seen in dinosaur fossils. The findings suggest that many more fossils might contain remnants of such tissues, opening a new window for scientists to investigate ancient animals.

"Finding these tissues in dinosaurs changes the way we think about

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