> Greetings,
Ahoj Vlad...e? :-)
> I was just reading some older postings and would like to ask if there
> is anything new about:
> 1.) Muyzer et al. 1992 study concerning the possibilities of
> detecting and extracting protein osteocalcin from dinosaur bones
> using PCR.
Certainly not. PCR can amplify DNA but not proteins.
> [...] Also the measurements of Gla/Glu ratio showed presence
> of osteocalcin in all three samples.
Is that Gln/Glu (glutamine/glutaminic acid)?
> 2.) "Spherical structures" resembling a red blood cells from T. rex
> (Ph.D. Schweitzer's research).
No idea.
> Also, is it true that some parts of dinosaur bone (femur?) were not
> mineralised but were in fact original bone? How is that possible
> 65-70 Ma after fossilization?
Do you mean _re_mineralised? This
http://www.dinosauria.com/jdp/fossil/fossil.htm and this
http://www.dinosauria.com/jdp/fossil/fossil.htm might help.
> [...] if we can extract enough osteocalcin material from
> bones of various dinosaur species to do a DNA sequencing
Osteocalcin is a protein and not DNA. But of course proteins can be
sequenced.
> and compare the outcoming sequences
> afterwards, will that reveal e.g. the level of relativness between
> dinosaur species, genera, clades? Could it, hypothetically, resolve
> the taxonomic problems like "Is _Seismosaurus hallorum_ valid genus
> or is it a species of Diplodocus?"
A genericometer! If we manage to agree on a phenetic definition for genera
( :-D ), then perhaps. The usefulness of this is another question...