TPO24

The reading and the lecture are both about whether the remains insides the T-rex leg bone are from the actual animal or from something else. The author of the reading believes there are three indications that these remains are the legitimately from the actual dinosaur. The lecturer challenges the statements made by the author. He is of the opinion that we should be skeptical of the reading.
First all, the author suggests that the many small branching channel inside the leg bone means they are the hollows in which blood vessels were. It is mentioned that there are presence of organic materials in inside the channels, indicating the remains of the dinosaur. The argument is refuted by the lecturer. He says these hollows are not necessarily the blood vessels. Furthermore, he argues that bacteria colonize hollows in the bone when animal dies, and these organic remains could be from the bacteria.
Secondly, the article posts that there are the presence of spheres in the inner bone and could be remains of the red blood cells. The article notes that spheres have iron inside, which is a constitute mineral of the blood, and have red centers. The lecturer, however, casts doubt on this by asserting that these spheres inside the bones are indentical to other animals that do not have red blood cells. The lecturer elaborates on this by mentioning that spheres are likely from a different origin and reddish centers could be from some reddish minerals.
Finally, it is stated in the reading that the bones contains collagen. The author establishes that the collagen is the main component of a bone. So it is from the actual dinosaur. The lecturer, on the other hand, opposes that scientists have never found any collagen from fossils that are over one hundred thousand years old. Hence, seventy million years old fossil containing collagen is contradicting the idea of how collagen is preserved. He puts forth the idea that the collagen could be from recent source, particularly from skin of researchers who are studying the animal.