Biomineralization of eggshells of dinosaurs of 70 million years old from the northern part of Mexico
This bilateral project is a continuation of a previous collaboration of the Italian coordinator with Prof Abel Moreno (UNAM, Mexico) extended with a wider collaboration between IC-CNR and with the Department of Chemistry -CINVESTAV (Mexico). The project is focused on the study of the biomineralization of eggshells of dinosaurs 70 million years old from the northern part of Mexico. All biomineralization processes in nature are associated with a structural control, carried out by biological macromolecules. There is a lack of information about the role played by biological macromolecules and almost nothing about the chemical and biological mechanisms of these processes. The level of structural organization of biominerals is often identified in different structural orders to produce a final and complex structure but still represents a structural challenge. In turn, the information that would be obtained is of the utmost importance to identify the structural and genetic relationship (based on intramineral proteins) that could exist between dinosaurs with birds and/or reptiles. Our investigation will also provide information about the origin, evolution, behaviour, food, reproduction, and nesting of the first species that populated the earth. The lack of crystallographic characterization of the mineral part of the eggshell (texture analysis, phase composition, polymorphism), will be also one of the objectives of this project.
Acronimo |
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Bando / Avviso |
CINVESTAV-Messico_Bando-2022_Progetti-2023-2024 |
Ente finanziatore |
CNR |
Coordinatore scientifico |
Dritan Siliqi |
Partner |
Data inizio |
01/01/2023 |
Data fine |
31/12/2024 |
RESEARCH AREA
KEYWORDS
Link
Responsabile CNR
Altro personale CNR