Reanalysis of Tyrannosaurus rex Mass Spectra.
Asara et al. reported the detection of collagen peptides in a 68-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex bone by shotgun proteomics. This finding has been called into question as a possible statistical artifact. We reanalyze Asara et al.'s tandem mass spectra using a different search engine and different statistical tools. Our reanalysis shows a sample containing common laboratory contaminants, soil bacteria, and bird-like hemoglobin and collagen.
Bern
Marshall
M
Palo Alto Research Center, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. bern@parc.com
Phinney
Brett S
BS
Goldberg
David
D
D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry; D030562:Databases, Protein; D025061:Dinosaurs; D005580:Fossils; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000737:chemistry; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods*
D006454:Hemoglobins; D010455:Peptides; D003094:Collagen