中文导读 研究人员称，在巴西一件约 1.15 亿年前的恐龙骨骼里找到了血液相关的化学痕迹。科廷大学团队主导的研究于 2026 年 11 月 2 日发表在《美国国家科学院院刊》（PNAS），对象是小型兽脚类恐龙 Aratasaurus museunacionali 的肢骨。他们在曾经走行血管的细管内看到类似红细胞的圆形结构，并报告了血红素（heme）分子——血红蛋白里负责携氧的关键成分。文章还谈到快速低氧埋藏，以及锰矿物 hausmannite 可能帮助稳定有机分子。但未参与该研究的分子古生物学家 Mary Schweitzer 向 Live Science 表示：同源分子或可保存很久，可她并不确信这些图像就是红细胞遗迹。阅读时可留意 yet、while、may、could 如何区分化学发现与形态争议。
正文 Scientists say they have found chemical traces of blood inside a 115-million-year-old dinosaur bone from Brazil . The study , led by Curtin University and published on 2 November 2026 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , examined limb bones of Aratasaurus museunacionali , a small theropod about three metres long . Inside tiny canals that once held blood vessels , the team saw rounded structures that looked like red blood cells . They also reported heme molecules , a key part of haemoglobin that carries oxygen .
本段译文 科学家称，他们在一件来自巴西、约 1.15 亿年前的恐龙骨骼中发现了血液的化学痕迹。这项由科廷大学牵头、于 2026 年 11 月 2 日发表在《美国国家科学院院刊》的研究，检查了小型兽脚类恐龙 Aratasaurus museunacionali 的肢骨；该恐龙体长约三米。在曾经容纳血管的细小管道里，研究团队看到了类似红细胞的圆形结构。他们还报告了血红素分子——血红蛋白中负责携带氧气的关键部分。
Earlier work had pointed to possible soft tissue in dinosaur fossils . This paper claims something more specific compounds from blood that sit inside cell-like shapes . The structures appeared only in the bone canals , not in the sediment around the fossil . Chemical tests found a sharp contrast . The surrounding material was rich in plant and bacterial compounds , while the bone extract was dominated by heme-related signatures , along with iron carbon and nitrogen . The authors also linked amino acids to collagen .
本段译文 更早的工作已经提示，恐龙化石里可能保存软组织。这篇论文提出了更具体的主张：血液来源的化合物位于类似细胞的形状内部。这些结构只出现在骨内管道中，周围沉积物里没有。化学检测发现鲜明对比：周围物质富含植物与细菌来源的化合物，而骨提取物则以血红素相关信号为主，并伴有铁、碳和氮。作者还把一些氨基酸与胶原蛋白联系起来。
How could such fragile molecules last so long ? The researchers argue that the animal was buried quickly in a low-oxygen setting that slowed decay . The cells did not stay fresh ; they turned into minerals during fossilisation . A manganese mineral called hausmannite may have acted like an antioxidant , helping to stabilise sensitive organic molecules . Together , those conditions could preserve biological information at a molecular level for far longer than many scientists once expected
本段译文 如此脆弱的分子怎么能保存这么久？研究者认为，这只动物被迅速埋入低氧环境，腐烂因此变慢。细胞并没有保持新鲜状态，而是在石化过程中变成矿物。一种名为黑锰矿（hausmannite）的锰矿物可能像抗氧化剂一样，帮助稳定敏感的有机分子。综合这些条件，生物信息或许能在分子层面保存得比许多科学家曾经预期的更久。
Not everyone is convinced the shapes are true red blood cells . Mary Schweitzer , a molecular palaeontologist who was not involved in the study , told Live Science that endogenous molecules can survive deep time , yet she doubts these images show remnant cells . Bird and reptile red blood cells keep a nucleus and usually show a nuclear bulge ; the fossil structures look more concave and lack that feature , she said . Their size also differs from living relatives . So the chemistry may be striking , while the cell identification remains disputed
本段译文 并非所有人都确信这些形状就是真正的红细胞。未参与该研究的分子古生物学家玛丽·施韦策告诉 Live Science：同源分子可以在漫长地质时间中存留下来，但她怀疑这些图像显示的是残留细胞。鸟类和爬行动物的红细胞保留细胞核，通常会出现核突；她说，这些化石结构看起来更凹，也缺少这一特征。它们的大小也与现生近亲不同。因此化学证据或许引人注目，而细胞鉴定仍有争议。
Even so , the debate itself matters for how museums use their collections . Many fossils are not display stars , but they may hold chemical clues once thought impossible to recover . Further research will need to test whether the shapes match dinosaur blood cells or mineral look-alikes . For now , the study widens what scientists are willing to ask of old bones — and reminds readers that strong claims still need careful checks
本段译文 即便如此，这场争论本身也关系到博物馆如何利用馆藏。许多化石并不是展览明星，却可能保存着一度被认为无法找回的化学线索。后续研究还需要检验这些形状究竟更像恐龙血细胞，还是矿物的相似物。就目前而言，这项研究拓宽了科学家愿意向古老骨骼提出的问题，也提醒读者：强烈主张仍需仔细核验。
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