Tissue-specific geometry and chemistry of modern and fossilized melanosomes reveal internal anatomy of extinct vertebrates
2019; National Academy of Sciences; Volume: 116; Issue: 36 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1073/pnas.1820285116
ISSN1091-6490
AutoresValentina Rossi, Maria E. McNamara, Sam Webb, Shosuke Ito, Kazumasa Wakamatsu,
Tópico(s)Evolution and Paleontology Studies
ResumoSignificance Recent reports of nonintegumentary melanosomes in fossils hint at functions for melanin beyond color production, but the biology and evolution of internal melanins are poorly understood. Our results show that internal melanosomes are widespread in diverse fossil and modern vertebrates and have tissue-specific geometries and metal chemistries. Tissue-specific chemical signatures can persist in fossils despite some diagenetic overprint, allowing the reconstruction of internal soft-tissue anatomy in fossil vertebrates, and suggest that links between melanin and metal regulation have deep evolutionary origins in vertebrates.
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