An article published in the journal “National Science Review” reports evidence of the identification of proteins, chromosomes and DNA markers in the fossil cartilage of a Hypacrosaurus stebingeri nestling, a dinosaur belonging to the hadrosaur family dating back to around 75 million years ago, in the Cretaceous period. A team of researchers led by Alida Bailleul of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, China, used chemicals that bind to DNA in living cells on fossil bone fragments resulting in a fluorescence indicating that they bonded to the original molecules and not to external contaminants. Jurassic Park remains science fiction because the fragments found may have undergone various alterations but any trace of cell structures, proteins and chromosomes could offer new information on these dinosaurs.

An article published in the journal “PeerJ” reports the identification of a new species of carnivorous dinosaur that lived between 152 and 157 million years ago, in the Jurassic period. Daniel Chure and Mark Loewen named it Allosaurus jimmadseni after examining various fossils discovered in the 1990s in Utah and Wyoming to determine that it’s a new species of allosaurus, a few million years older than the first one discovered, Allosaurus fragilis. The differences between the two species suggest different eating habits.

An article published in the journal “Science Advances” reports a study that offers an analysis of the fossils of what was classified as Nanotyrannus offering evidence that actually they’re young specimens of Tyrannosaurus rex. A team of researchers led by Dr. Holly Woodward of the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Science conducted a paleohistological examination on bone fragments of the specimens nicknamed Jane and Petey concluding that fibers and other microstructures were growing. According to their estimates, Jane was around 13 years old at the time of death while Petey was around 15 years old.