Physics Applied to Paleontology - Search for Soft Tissues in Fossils

Until recently, our understanding of extinct creatures was largely limited to their fossilized bones. However, a groundbreaking discovery in 2005 changed this dramatically when researchers found preserved, pliable blood vessels within a Tyrannosaurus Rex bone, marking the first instance of soft tissue preservation in a dinosaur fossil. Since then, while still rare, the number of soft tissue discoveries in fossils has grown rapidly, thanks to advancements in paleontological technology. This lecture will highlight several exciting findings by our research group, including preserved cell layers in fossilized hadrosaur skin, organic compounds in a 45-million-year-old leaf beetle, and a remarkable network of blood vessels in a T. Rex rib. We will explore how the use of synchrotron radiation technology and physics techniques enabled these discoveries. The presentation will conclude by discussing future research plans, including the application of neutron scattering to further our understanding of ancient animal biology and death, ultimately contributing to a richer understanding of their evolutionary history.

Experimental subatomic physicist and 2016 Breakthrough Prize co-recipient ([T2K collaboration]), Mauricio Barbi specializes in particle detector development and data analysis. In addition to work on major experiments like DELPHI, ZEUS, T2K and Hyper-K (including IWCD and WCTE), he also applies physics to palaeontology. This interdisciplinary research, which explores soft tissue preservation in fossils, has garnered significant media attention.