{
  "abstract": "The combined preservation of soft tissues, biomineralized structures, and molecular biomarkers is rare; yet, such finds offer key insights into ancient physiology, ecology, and taphonomy. We integrate organic geochemical analyses with high-resolution micro-mineral imaging of a three-dimensionally preserved Cretaceous pterosaur wing phalanx from Brazil to reveal steroid biomarkers and multi-stage mineralization pathways underlying its preservation. A localized redox shift toward acidic, oxidative conditions around the carcass played a central role. Microbial decay generated acidity that promoted early phosphate mineralization (fluorapatite), stabilizing tissues. This fluorapatite is associated with barite and celestite indicating a microenvironment with enhanced microbial sulfate production. Following phosphatization, three phases of carbonate mineralization encapsulated organic compounds, protecting them from diagenetic alteration. Molecular analyses report steroids in pterosaurs, with δ 13 C values indicating a fish- and cephalopod-based diet, highlighting early mineralization as key to long-term biomolecule preservation.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Western Australian Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia",
    "Institute of Geosciences, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany",
    "Department of Biological Sciences, Regional University of Cariri, Crato, Ceará, Brazil",
    "Geochemistry and Isotope Biogeochemistry, Leibniz-Institute for Baltic Sea Research (IOW), Warnemünde, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany",
    "Interdisciplinary Faculty, University of Rostock, Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany",
    "Marine Geochemistry, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany",
    "Microanalysis Australia, Perth, WA, Australia",
    "John de Laeter Centre, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia",
    "Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, USA",
    "Laboratory of Systematics and Taphonomy of Fossil Vertebrates, Department of Geology and Paleontology, Museu Nacional (MN)/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil",
    "Azolla Biodesign, Sedona, AZ, USA"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 27,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Kliti Grice",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2136-3508"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Stephen F. Poropat",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4909-1666"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        0
      ],
      "name": "Lorenz Schwark",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0683-0817"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Maria A. Diaz-Mateus",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8039-5222"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Paul F. Greenwood",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4307-9137"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Luke M. Brosnan",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3831-4633"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Madison Tripp",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1128-6687"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Amy L. Elson",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1220-5674"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Andrew Jian",
      "orcid": "0009-0000-6070-6417"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Antônio Álamo Feitosa Saraiva",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0127-8912"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Renan Alfredo Machado Bantim",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4576-0989"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Julien Demore",
      "orcid": "0009-0003-7352-768X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Alex I. Holman",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5687-1268"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        4,
        5
      ],
      "name": "Michael E. Böttcher",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8877-0303"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Adele H. Pentland",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4827-1996"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Robert H.C. Madden",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0459-3934"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Peter Hopper",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1934-7026"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Xiao Sun",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5770-0943"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Aaron C. Dodd",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7547-0280"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Arthur V. de Oliveira"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8,
        0
      ],
      "name": "Pieter T. Visscher",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6911-1532"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "William D.A. Rickard",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8118-730X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "Juliana Manso Sayão",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3619-0323"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Hossein Rahimpour-Bonab"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Iris Schmiedinger"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        10
      ],
      "name": "Victor O. Leshyk"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "Alexander W. A. Kellner",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7174-9447"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/75f6p65qq179q.bib",
  "cited_by": 5,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.isci.2026.116199",
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  "id": "75f6p65qq179q",
  "issns": [
    "2589-0042"
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  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.116199",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
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      "openalex",
      "1911|Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology"
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  "pmcid": "PMC13377889",
  "pmid": "42491552",
  "published": "2026-06-18",
  "publisher": "Cell Press",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/75f6p65qq179q.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-03T13:20:38Z",
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:1911|Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology",
      "subfield": "evolutionary-biology"
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  ],
  "title": "Multi-staged mineralization and biomarker preservation in a 113-million-year-old pterosaur bone via redox shifts in diagenesis",
  "title_text": "Multi-staged mineralization and biomarker preservation in a 113-million-year-old pterosaur bone via redox shifts in diagenesis",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-08T13:20:53Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/75f6p65qq179q",
  "venue": "iScience",
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