A False Color Synchrotron X-Ray Image of the Fossil Chemistry (IMAGE)
Caption
A false color synchrotron X-ray image of the fossil chemistry. Blue represents calcium in the bones, green is the element zinc which has been shown to be important in the biochemistry of red pigment and red is a particular type of organic sulfur which cannot be imaged by traditional methods. This type of sulfur is enriched in red pigment. When combined, regions rich in both zinc and sulfur appear yellow on this image, showing that the fur on this animal was rich in the chemical compounds that are most probably derived from the original red pigments produced by the mouse.
Credit
<em>Nature Communications</em>
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