Exceptionally preserved ‘skin’ in an Early Cretaceous fish from Colombia

Andrés Alfonso-Rojas; Edwin Alberto Cadena

doi:10.7717/peerj.9479

Exceptionally preserved ‘skin’ in an Early Cretaceous fish from Colombia

Título traducido de la contribución: "Piel" excepcionalmente preservada en un pez del Cretácico Temprano de Colombia

Andrés Alfonso-Rojas, Edwin Alberto Cadena

Producción científica: Contribución a una revista › Artículo de Investigación › revisión exhaustiva

6 Citas (Scopus)

Resumen

Los estudios de tejidos blandos, células y constituyentes biomoleculares originales conservados en vertebrados fósiles han aumentado enormemente en los últimos años. Aquí reportamos la preservación de "piel" con caracterización química y molecular de una porción caudal preservada tridimensionalmente de un pez aspidorrinquido del Cretácico del Barremiano ecuatorial de Colombia, aumentando el número de localidades por las cuales se conoce una preservación excepcional. Aplicamos varias técnicas analíticas incluyendo SEM-EDS, FTIR y ToF-SIMS para caracterizar la micromorfología y la composición molecular y elemental de este fósil. Aquí, mostramos que la "piel" fosilizada exhibe similitudes con las de los peces existentes, incluidas las arrugas después de sufrir estrés por compresión y flexibilidad, así como aspectos arquitectónicos y tisulares de las dos capas principales (epidermis y dermis). Esta similitud se extiende también al nivel molecular, con la conservación demostrada de residuos potenciales de proteínas originales que no son compatibles con una fuente bacteriana. Nuestros resultados muestran un mecanismo de conservación potencial donde las escamas pueden haber actuado como una barrera externa y junto con una capa interna de fosfato resultante de la degradación de la dermis misma creando un ambiente encapsulado para el tegumento.

Título traducido de la contribución	"Piel" excepcionalmente preservada en un pez del Cretácico Temprano de Colombia
Idioma original	Inglés estadounidense
Número de artículo	e9479
Publicación	PeerJ
Volumen	2020
N.º	7
DOI	https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9479
Estado	Publicada - jul. 8 2020

Áreas temáticas de ASJC Scopus

Neurociencias General
Bioquímica, Genética y Biología Molecular General
Ciencias Agrícolas y Biológicas General

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title = "Exceptionally preserved {\textquoteleft}skin{\textquoteright} in an Early Cretaceous fish from Colombia",

abstract = "Studies of soft tissue, cells and original biomolecular constituents preserved in fossil vertebrates have increased greatly in recent years. Here we report preservation of {\textquoteleft}skin{\textquoteright} with chemical and molecular characterization from a three-dimensionally preserved caudal portion of an aspidorhynchid Cretaceous fish from the equatorial Barremian of Colombia, increasing the number of localities for which exceptional preservation is known. We applied several analytical techniques including SEM-EDS, FTIR and ToF-SIMS to characterize the micromorphology and molecular and elemental composition of this fossil. Here, we show that the fossilized {\textquoteleft}skin{\textquoteright} exhibits similarities with those from extant fish, including the wrinkles after suffering compression stress and flexibility, as well as architectural and tissue aspects of the two main layers (epidermis and dermis). This similarity extends also to the molecular level, with the demonstrated preservation of potential residues of original proteins not consistent with a bacterial source. Our results show a potential preservation mechanism where scales may have acted as an external barrier and together with an internal phosphate layer resulting from the degradation of the dermis itself creating an encapsulated environment for the integument.",

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AU - Cadena, Edwin Alberto

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N2 - Studies of soft tissue, cells and original biomolecular constituents preserved in fossil vertebrates have increased greatly in recent years. Here we report preservation of ‘skin’ with chemical and molecular characterization from a three-dimensionally preserved caudal portion of an aspidorhynchid Cretaceous fish from the equatorial Barremian of Colombia, increasing the number of localities for which exceptional preservation is known. We applied several analytical techniques including SEM-EDS, FTIR and ToF-SIMS to characterize the micromorphology and molecular and elemental composition of this fossil. Here, we show that the fossilized ‘skin’ exhibits similarities with those from extant fish, including the wrinkles after suffering compression stress and flexibility, as well as architectural and tissue aspects of the two main layers (epidermis and dermis). This similarity extends also to the molecular level, with the demonstrated preservation of potential residues of original proteins not consistent with a bacterial source. Our results show a potential preservation mechanism where scales may have acted as an external barrier and together with an internal phosphate layer resulting from the degradation of the dermis itself creating an encapsulated environment for the integument.

AB - Studies of soft tissue, cells and original biomolecular constituents preserved in fossil vertebrates have increased greatly in recent years. Here we report preservation of ‘skin’ with chemical and molecular characterization from a three-dimensionally preserved caudal portion of an aspidorhynchid Cretaceous fish from the equatorial Barremian of Colombia, increasing the number of localities for which exceptional preservation is known. We applied several analytical techniques including SEM-EDS, FTIR and ToF-SIMS to characterize the micromorphology and molecular and elemental composition of this fossil. Here, we show that the fossilized ‘skin’ exhibits similarities with those from extant fish, including the wrinkles after suffering compression stress and flexibility, as well as architectural and tissue aspects of the two main layers (epidermis and dermis). This similarity extends also to the molecular level, with the demonstrated preservation of potential residues of original proteins not consistent with a bacterial source. Our results show a potential preservation mechanism where scales may have acted as an external barrier and together with an internal phosphate layer resulting from the degradation of the dermis itself creating an encapsulated environment for the integument.

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Exceptionally preserved ‘skin’ in an Early Cretaceous fish from Colombia

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