TPO24 Integrated Task

The reading and the lecture are both about the feasibility of animals’ body actual remains in their fossils, especially in Tyrannosaurus that is a kind of dinosaur. Whereas the author of the reading states that there is some evidence that shows the real tissue, the lecturer suggests that that evidence are just misunderstandings. The lecturer casts doubt on the main points made in the reading by providing three reasons.
First of all, according to the reading, many branching channels appeared after breaking the T. rex bones can be the symbol of blood vessels. However, the lecturer disputes this point. He says that these channels can not be the effect of blood vessels. To explain more, he mentions that bacteria colonized in the fossils bones and make some hollows, which seems to be blood vessels.
Secondly, the reading states that there are some spheres with dark red centers that contain iron and can be the remains of blood cells. Nevertheless, the lecturer refutes this argument. He argues that a fossil of primitive animals can also contain iron spheres, the kind of animals that had no blood cells when they were alive. Therefore, he points out these spheres may have different origins like reddish minerals.
Finally, the reading claims that there is evidence of collagen in the broken leg bone. On the other hand, the lecturer believes that collagen doesn’t last a very long time, to the age of T. rex. He thinks that it is too improbable that the founded collagen belongs to the T. rex. Moreover, he feels that this revealed collagen has another source like human skins, for example, the researchers who are working with the fossil.