Comment on "Protein sequences from mastodon and Tyrannosaurus rex revealed by mass spectrometry".
We used authentication tests developed for ancient DNA to evaluate claims by Asara et al. (Reports, 13 April 2007, p. 280) of collagen peptide sequences recovered from mastodon and Tyrannosaurus rex fossils. Although the mastodon samples pass these tests, absence of amino acid composition data, lack of evidence for peptide deamidation, and association of alpha1(I) collagen sequences with amphibians rather than birds suggest that T. rex does not.
Buckley
Mike
M
BioArch, Departments of Biology, Archaeology, Chemistry and Technology Facility, University of York, Post Office Box 373, York YO10 5YW, UK.
Walker
Angela
A
Ho
Simon Y W
SY
Yang
Yue
Y
Smith
Colin
C
Ashton
Peter
P
Oates
Jane Thomas
JT
Cappellini
Enrico
E
Koon
Hannah
H
Penkman
Kirsty
K
Elsworth
Ben
B
Ashford
Dave
D
Solazzo
Caroline
C
Andrews
Phillip
P
Strahler
John
J
Shapiro
Beth
B
Ostrom
Peggy
P
Gandhi
Hasand
H
Miller
Webb
W
Raney
Brian
B
Zylber
Maria Ines
MI
Gilbert
M Thomas P
MT
Prigodich
Richard V
RV
Ryan
Michael
M
Rijsdijk
Kenneth F
KF
Janoo
Anwar
A
Collins
Matthew J
MJ
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry*; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry*; D025061:Dinosaurs; D004606:Elephants; D005580:Fossils; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D010802:Phylogeny
D003094:Collagen