Fossilised red blood cells found in 115m-year-old dinosaur’s bone, say scientists

Scientists have discovered fossilised red blood cells and molecular traces of blood within the hind leg bones of an Aratasaurus. This small, meat-eating dinosaur lived 115 million years ago in what is now north-eastern Brazil. Chemical tests identified the presence of heme, the organic compound enabling haemoglobin to transport oxygen throughout the body. This discovery provides evidence of the molecule responsible for the crimson hue of the creature's blood within these ancient Jurassic-era remains.