Re: Message from Ralph Molnar

[Tom Holtz <tholtz@geochange.er.usgs.gov>]

This is forwarded from Ralph Molnar:

>It came from a technical newsletter here,
>'Laboratory News', but from the April issue, which, of course, appeared
>on 1 April. Maybe it is serious, but I have rather severe doubts. If it
>is actually from China, I wonder why the Chinese speak in colloquial
>Australian.

>TIANANMEN SQUARE SAFE FROM BABY DINOSAURS
>The Chinese scientist who recently reported he had discovered DNA in
>sticky pulp from a 65-million-year old dinosaur egg said the find opened
>a gate for man's research into the past.
>Speaking for the first time since China annouced his find, Chen
>Zhangliang said he believed the discovery had the potnetial not only to
>unlock the mystery of the disappeance of dinosaurs but also to clone a gene.
>"This opens a gate for modern biologists, archeologists and
>paleontologists to carefully study ancient life," said Chen, a
>34-year-old graduate of Washington University in the US and head of
>College of Life Sciences a Beijing University.
>However, he said longer strands of DNA or complete dinosaur cells would
>have to be found before he could add fact to the fictional hit movie
>'Jurassic Park', in which dinosaurs were brought back to life.
>"This is absolutely different from 'Jurassic Park,'" he said. "Baby
>dinosaurs are not going to be running down Tiananmen Square."
>The egg in question was found by fossil collector Li Guanglin in Henan
>province in central China, where thousands of dinosaur nests have been
>unearthed since 1993, said geologist Zhang Yun who extracted the gene
>material from the egg.
>Li dropped the egg in late 1993 and it split open to reveal a softish
>centre, prompting the puzzled collector to approach the government, who
>brought in Zhang Yun.
>Zhang said he obtained 90mg of spongy cotton wool-like material from the
>egg, and after burning a small part established that the material was
>organic.
>"This was very unique," said Zhang, who checked 5,000 eggs.
>After analysis showed presence of amino acids, he called in Chen's
>molecula biology skills. "If it could have amino acids then I thought it
>may have other biological matter."
>Future research would focus on anlysing dinosaur chromosomes, if these
>could be isolated, as well as studying more DNA. Chen did not rule out
>the transfer of whole genes into living organisms to try to discover the
>functions of dinosaur genes.
>"We could transfer genes into rats, mice or pigs," he said. "this could
>tell us some very important scientific questions."

                                
Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.                                   
tholtz@geochange.er.usgs.gov
Vertebrate Paleontologist in Exile                  Phone:      703-648-5280
U.S. Geological Survey                                FAX:      703-648-5420
Branch of Paleontology & Stratigraphy
MS 970 National Center
Reston, VA  22092
U.S.A.