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I recently published a paper describing how biological cells and soft tissues preserve in ancient vertebrate fossils, combining the two major hypotheses by Dr. Mary Schweitzer and Dr. Jasmina Wiemann. Apparently, a biology professor at the University of Akron made a video on it, and it explains the paper rather nicely for the layman. His comments on it start at the 14:50 mark, before that he deals with some inaccurate claims made about soft tissue preservation by others: https://youtu.be/ViCJtaePtzY

While not directly about fossils, I think this news might have some relevance to the field of paleontology as a whole. A big question I think we ask ourselves in our field is how life on earth began, and if it originated here, or elsewhere. This new paper could shed some light on the possibility that life could have originated elsewhere in our universe. Here’s a link to the paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2002.11688 Heres a link to a news article explaining the paper for all the laymen out there(myself included):https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-claim-to-have-found-the-first-known-extraterrestrial-protein-in-a-meteorite/amp

We can now find chemical signatures in a fossil without destroying it, check out this article http://discovermagazine.com/2018/janfeb/12-protein-in-dinosaur-rib-is-195-million-years-old#.Wm9AVlTsZ-I.twitter Paper https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms1422

How some dinosaur discoveries might be wishful scientific thinking by Evan Thomas Saitta, The Conversation, November 6, 2017. https://theconversation.com/how-some-dinosaur-discoveries-might-be-wishful-scientific-thinking-86253 https://phys.org/news/2017-11-dinosaur-discoveries-scientific.html Yours, Paul H.

Here's the latest on molecular biology / biotechnology advances and our furry friend, the Woolly Mammoth. Unlike most dinosaur fossils, Woolly Mammoth remains are often found in frozen, less-deteriorated states in Siberia; and often contain viable proteins such as collagen, from which genetic sequences can be produced. In ice condition: Amazingly preserved woolly mammoth found frozen in Siberia after 39,000 YEARS goes on display in Tokyo http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2358695/Woolly-mammoth-frozen-Siberia-39-000-YEARS-goes-display-Tokyo-woolly.html Woolly mammoth discovery raises exciting possibilities http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/woolly-mammoth-discovery-raises-exciting-possibilities-1.1386398 The quest is to clone a mammoth. The question is: should we do it? http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/jul/14/wooly-mammoth-extinct-cloning-dna De-extinction: Mammoth prospect, or just woolly? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23602142 DNA study suggests hunting did not kill off mammoth http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24034954 Russian and Korean Researchers Will Inject Mammoth DNA Into Elephant Eggs, Resurrecting 10,000-Year-Old Beast http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-03/russian-and-korean-researchers-will-inject-mammoth-dna-elephant-eggs-resurrecting-10000-year-old-beast Resurrection Researchers Recreate Woolly Mammoth Protein in Living Cell http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-05/researchers-resurrect-mammoth-blood