Comment on "Protein Sequences from Mastodon and Tyrannosaurus rex revealed by Mass Spectrometry"

Mike Buckley, Angela Walker, Simon Y. W. Ho, Yue Yang, Colin Smith, Peter Ashton, Jane Thomas Oates, Enrico Cappellini, Hannah Koon, Kirsty Penkman, Ben Elsworth, Dave Ashford, Caroline Solazzo, Phillip Andrews, John Strahler, Beth Shapiro, Peggy Ostrom, Hasand Gandhi, Webb Miller, Brian RaneyMaria Ines Zylber, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Richard V. Prigodich, Michael Ryan, Kenneth F. Rijsdijk, Anwar Janoo, Matthew J. Collins

Research output: Contribution to journalComment/debatepeer-review

Abstract

We used authentication tests developed for ancient DNA to evaluate claims by Asara et al. (Reports, 13 April 2007, p. 280) of collagen peptide sequences recovered from mastodon and Tyrannosaurus rex fossils. Although the mastodon samples pass these tests, absence of amino acid composition data, lack of evidence for peptide deamidation, and association of α1(I) collagen sequences with amphibians rather than birds suggest that T. rex does not.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)33
Number of pages3
JournalScience
Volume319
Issue number5859
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Jan 2008

Keywords

  • ANCIENT DNA
  • COLLAGEN

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