News by Levels · Level 2 · Student worksheet

Possible Blood Cell Remains Found in Brazilian Dinosaur Fossil

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Read the story

A study of a 115-million-year-old dinosaur fossil has found microscopic structures that researchers think may be remains of red blood cells. The leg bone belonged to Aratasaurus, a dinosaur whose fossil was found in Brazil in 2008.

The team also detected traces of heme, a chemical associated with the protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells. Their research appeared in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The structures are mineralised, rather than intact living cells. ABC News reports that some independent experts remain unconvinced that they were blood cells. Other scientists say the interpretation needs care.

Further work on fossils could help researchers understand how tiny traces survive over very long periods.

Source: ABC News, 2026-11-03. https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2026-11-03/signs-of-mineralised-molecules-from-dinosaurs-red-blood-cell/107335770

Read and practise

1. What did the researchers find in the Aratasaurus leg bone?

   1. A complete set of dinosaur bones
   2. Microscopic structures that may be red blood cell remains
   3. Intact living red blood cells

2. What is heme associated with in the article?

   1. The protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells
   2. The minerals that make dinosaur teeth hard
   3. The pigment that helps plants use sunlight

3. How do some independent experts view the researchers’ interpretation?

   1. They agree the structures are intact living cells.
   2. They believe the structures came from a different dinosaur species.
   3. They remain unconvinced that the structures were blood cells.

Your turn

What evidence did the team report, and why is the interpretation not settled?

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Read online: https://newsbylevels.com/news/aratasaurus-dinosaur-fossil-possible-blood-cell-traces-2026/level-2/